Cancer is a major public health issue worldwide, especially in the developing\nworld where 70% of the cancer-related deaths occur. During the last three\ndecades, with the advent of targeted therapies using monoclonal antibodies,\npatients� survival and quality of life have dramatically improved. Unfortunately,\nthese great accomplishments came at the expense of high financial\ncosts which most of the population living in low-and middle-income countries\ncannot afford. Biosimilars (biotherapeutic products that are similar to an\nalready licensed reference biotherapeutic product in terms of quality, safety\nand efficacy) have been successfully used in Europe and in US with a substantial\nreduction in price of around 30%. Brazil is about to have trastuzumab as\nthe first biosimilar available to treat cancer patients in the country. Based on\nstrict regulatory legislations, biosimilars are expected to deliver affordable yet\neffective and safe treatment options all over the world, expanding the access to\ncancer treatment and reducing inequalities.
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