I believe, when you combine the president and his administration's commitment with the clear consensus around the importance of biosimilars from Congress and healthcare payers, that we're nearing an inflection point.

Alex Azar US Secretary

Many of the highest-cost medicines that Medicare pays for are biologics. Biosimilars have the potential to introduce competition and drive down costs for patients.

Seema Verma US CMS Administrator

As a rheumatologist, I want to provide my patients with the most effective treatments. At the same time, as a steward of the health system, I also want to use the most cost-effective approaches whenever possible. Biosimilars meet both patient and health system needs by providing the same high-quality medications at a lower cost. Like a host of other countries around the world, we need to make this important shift and take the next step forward in the evolution of care.

Dr. John Esdaile Professor of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia and Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of Calgary

As the first private payor in the country to implement the transitioning approach to biosimilars in 2018, we have witnessed the safety and positive impact this approach has for both patients and long-term system sustainability. Yes, health-care sustainability is hard and is not achieved by any one decision. But it’s a collection of smart decisions, over time, driven by solid evidence. Biosimilars are a prime example of that smart decision making that will ultimately protect the existence and viability of the Canadian health-care system.

Zahid Salman President and CEO of Green Shield Canada

B.C. is leading the country by promoting the widespread use of biosimilars, which have been proven to work just as safely and effectively as higher priced biologics. To date, Canada is far behind European jurisdictions. Biosimilars are a necessary step to ensure PharmaCare provides existing coverage for more people and funds new drugs well into the future.

The Honourable Adrian Dix Minister of Health, Province of British Columbia (B.C.), Canada