Grant: Project Grant

Biologic drugs have revolutionized the care of patients with many chronic diseases including inflammatory diseases (including rheumatic and bowel diseases). Biologic drugs are extremely expensive, and three of the most costly drugs to the Canadian health care system are biologics used in inflammatory diseases. Now that patents are expiring on the oldest biologic drugs, it is possible to make cheaper copies of these products, known as biosimilars. However, because biologics are complex drugs with a complicated manufacturing process, it is not possible to make sure that biosimilars are exact replicas of biologics. Despite small differences, biosimilars are expected to be as safe and effective as biologics, and offer the chance to save millions of dollars to the health care system. This money could be spent treating other patients, with no impact to the outcomes of patients using biosimilars. British Columbia introduced a policy which mandated the use biosimilars instead of biologics in 2019. This project aims to study the outcomes of patients in British Columbia who are using biosimilars. Our findings will provide valuable and timely information to people with chronic diseases using biosimilars and biologics, as well as to health care professionals and health care policy makers who are seeking to deliver the best possible health care to their populations.