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Carter Thorne, MD, Discusses Biosimilar Switching in Canada
We sat down with Carter Thorne, MD, FRCPC, former president of the Canadian Rheumatology Association and chief of the Division of Rheumatology and director of The Arthritis Program at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, to discuss the current status of Canada’s comfort level with biosimilars and what he sees for the future of switching policies.
Welcome to Not So Different, a podcast from The Center for Biosimilars®. I’m your host, Assistant Editor Skylar Jeremias.
Although Canada has taken a different route than the United States in increasing uptake of biosimilars, the country faces plenty of opposition to these agents. This is due in part to policies to automatically switch patients from reference products to biosimilars in some provinces. The first of these policies became effective in British Columbia in 2019.
In addition to British Columbia, 4 other provinces are looking into developing their own switching policies. However, there is still much work to be done on educating physicians and patients on the safety and efficacy of biosimilars before more regulatory bodies feel comfortable enough to enact their own versions of these policies.
We sat down with Carter Thorne, MD, FRCPC, former president of the Canadian Rheumatology Association and chief of the Division of Rheumatology and director of The Arthritis Program at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, to discuss the current status of Canada’s comfort level with biosimilars and what he sees for the future of switching policies.
To learn more about Canadian switching policies, click here.
BioRationality: EMA Accepts Waiver of Clinical Efficacy Testing of Biosimilars
April 21st 2025Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, shares his latest citizen's petition to the FDA, calling on the agency to waive clinical efficacy testing in response to the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) efforts towards the same goal.
How AI Can Help Address Cost-Related Nonadherence to Biologic, Biosimilar Treatment
March 9th 2025Despite saving billions, biosimilars still account for only a small share of the biologics market—what's standing in the way of broader adoption and how can artificial intelligence (AI) help change that?
How State Substitution Laws Shape Insulin Biosimilar Adoption
April 15th 2025States with fewer restrictions on biosimilar substitution tend to see higher uptake of interchangeable insulin glargine, showing how even small policy details can significantly influence biosimilar adoption and expand access to more affordable insulin.
Will the FTC Be More PBM-Friendly Under a Second Trump Administration?
February 23rd 2025On this episode of Not So Different, we explore the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) second interim report on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with Joe Wisniewski from Turquoise Health, discussing key issues like preferential reimbursement, drug pricing transparency, biosimilars, shifting regulations, and how a second Trump administration could reshape PBM practices.
BioRationality: Commemorating the 15th Anniversary of the BPCIA
April 8th 2025Affirming that analytical characterization is often sufficient for biosimilar approval, minimizing unnecessary clinical testing, and enhancing FDA-led education to counter stakeholder misconceptions are key recommendations put forth in this opinion piece by Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD.
