This policy research aims to map patient access barriers to biologic treatments, to explore how increased uptake of biosimilars may\nlower these hurdles and to identify factors limiting the increased utilisation of biosimilars. A policy survey was developed to review\nthese questions in 10 Central and Eastern European (CEE) and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. Two experts\n(one public and one private sector representative) fromeach country completed the survey.Questions were related to patient access,\npurchasing, clinical practice, and real-world data collection on both original biologics and biosimilars. Restrictions on the number\nof patients that can be treated and related waiting lists were reported as key patient access barriers. According to respondents,\nfor both clinicians and payers the primary benefit of switching patients to biosimilars would be to treat more patients. However,\nconcerns with therapeutic equivalence and fear of immunogenicity may reduce utilisation of biosimilars. Similar limitations in\npatient access to both original biologics and biosimilars raise concerns about the appropriateness and success of current biosimilar\npolicies in CEE and CIS countries. The conceptual framework for additional real-world data collection exists in all countries which\nmay provide a basis for future risk-management activities including vigorous pharmacovigilance data collection.
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