Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, provides an overview of the current biosimilar education material offered by the FDA, emphasizing that manufacturer-developed materials aren't needed.
Teaching health care professionals and other stakeholders about biosimilars and how they are developed and approved is common among many associations and groups. This practice should end now, as the FDA releases a comprehensive Teaching Resource Guide as a toolkit to educate health care professionals about biologics, mainly focusing on biosimilars and interchangeable biosimilars. The guide serves as a resource for teaching faculty to help students in healthcare programs—such as medicine, nursing, physician assistants, and pharmacy—gain a deeper understanding of biosimilars, their regulatory approval pathways, and their role in patient care. However, this should also serve the need to educate all stakeholders. The following highlights how the FDA explains biosimilars are of pivotal importance.
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Introduction to Biosimilars1
As the use of biosimilars expands, health care professionals are expected to play a critical role in guiding patients through shared decision-making regarding biosimilar use. The FDA's goal in developing this guide is to ensure that future health care providers are equipped with the knowledge needed to educate patients about these products' safety, efficacy, and benefits.
Goal and Objectives of the Toolkit
The toolkit provides teaching faculty resources to incorporate into curricula to educate students about biosimilars. Specifically, the toolkit helps students understand the definitions, regulatory approval pathways, and practical considerations in prescribing and dispensing biosimilars. The toolkit is intended to meet the learning needs of students at different stages of their training by providing both basic and advanced materials.
The 4 key objectives of the toolkit are:
Two Levels of Learning
The toolkit is structured into 2 levels, catering to students at different stages of their training:2
Types of Resources
The toolkit provides a variety of resources to support teaching and learning, including:
Case Studies for Practical Understanding
The case studies included in the guide offer a practical way to apply theoretical knowledge. For example:
Knowledge Assessment and Key Takeaways
Each module in the toolkit concludes with key takeaways that summarize the most important concepts. Knowledge assessment questions at both levels help students evaluate their understanding of biosimilar topics. These questions encourage deeper thinking, particularly regarding comparing biosimilars and their reference products, the importance of clinical and analytical studies, and the practicalities of prescribing biosimilars.
Additional FDA Resources
The toolkit links to FDA resources, such as the Purple Book and Drugs@FDA, where health care providers can find information on biologics and biosimilars. These resources offer information for educators and students, helping them stay informed on the latest biosimilar regulations and use developments.
Conclusion
The FDA's Teaching Resource Guide is a comprehensive toolkit to prepare future health care providers to understand and effectively use interchangeable biosimilars in clinical practice. By providing both foundational and advanced resources, the guide ensures that students at all levels of training gain a thorough understanding of the regulatory pathways, scientific concepts, and practical applications of biosimilars.
This resource is critical for helping health care professionals engage in informed decision-making and patient education regarding biosimilars, which are increasingly important in modern health care. Through a combination of presentations, case studies, videos, and exercises, the toolkit equips teaching faculty with the necessary tools to educate the next generation of health care providers.
References
1. Biosimilars. FDA. Updated March 1, 2023. Accessed October 21, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/therapeutic-biologics-applications-bla/biosimilars
2. Curriculum Materials for Health Care Degree Programs | Biosimilars. FDA. Updated October 16, 2024. Accessed October 21, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/biosimilars/curriculum-materials-health-care-degree-programs-biosimilars?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
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