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Not So Different: Minnesota Legislator Discusses Bill to Broaden Biosimilar Coverage
State Representative Jennifer Schultz (D, Duluth) explains how her bill requiring payers to cover all approved biosimilars and reference products would save money and improve access.
Recently, legislators in Minnesota introduced a bill that could force health plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide equal coverage for biosimilars and reference products, removing the ability for plans to prefer higher-cost originators or limited numbers of biosimilars. The bipartisan bill was designed by Representative Jennifer Schultz (D, Duluth) and Senator Carla Nelson (R, Rochester) and was drafted in consultation with research scientists at Essentia Health and the Mayo Clinic.
We spoke with Schultz, who has a PhD in health economics, to discuss why a bill like this is needed in Minnesota and how it can help foster competition in the biologics market.
To learn more about the bill, click here.
To read the bill’s official text, click here.
To learn more about payer formulary preferences, click here.
A Banner Year for Biosimilars: The 19 FDA Approvals From 2024
January 21st 2025In 2024, the FDA approved 19 biosimilars across various therapeutic areas, including the first biosimilars for ustekinumab and denosumab, marking significant progress in expanding treatment options and market competition.
Biosimilars Gastroenterology Roundup for November 2024—Podcast Edition
December 1st 2024On this episode of Not So Different, we discuss market changes in the adalimumab space; calls for PBM transparency and biosimilar access reforms grew; new data for biosimilars in gastroenterology conditions; and all the takeaways from this year's Global Biosimilars Week.
Improving Biosimilar Access Through Global Regulatory Convergence
January 15th 2025Achieving global regulatory harmonization for biosimilar vaccines and immunotherapies is essential to improving market access, reducing costs, and enhancing patient outcomes by streamlining approval processes, fostering international collaboration, and addressing regulatory disparities.
Biosimilars Development Roundup for October 2024—Podcast Edition
November 3rd 2024On this episode of Not So Different, we discuss the GRx+Biosims conference, which included discussions on data transparency, artificial intelligence (AI), and collaboration to enhance the global supply chain for biosimilars and generic drugs, as well as the evolving requirements for biosimilar devices.
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Skinny Labeling
January 2nd 2025To close out the year, 4 senators came together to introduce a new bipartisan bill to protect biosimilar and generic drug manufacturers from patent litigation when obtaining “skinny label” approvals for their products.
