Fedeli (Sandoz): “Biosimilar drugs saving opportunities NHS”

“Biological drugs are very expensive and have a major impact on NHS pharmaceutical spending. Biosimilar drugs offer an opportunity for the NHS to save resources. The goal is to make these drugs available to more people and encourage introduction of innovative drugs and ensure that the patient who needs them is accompanied on his / her diagnostic-therapeutic path. “So Paolo Fedeli, Country Medical Director Sandoz during the webinar” Biosimilar, an opportunity to expand access to cure ”event promoted by Sandoz and broadcast live on the Adnkronos web channels.

The meeting was attended by Ferdinando D’Amico, gastroenterologist of the Center for chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, Ibd Unit of San Raffaele in Milan, Claudio Jommi, Professor of Practice of Health Policy at SDA Bocconi and Antonella Celano, president of Apmarr, Associazione national people with rheumatological and rare diseases.

Today “the health indicators of the Italian population are such – Fedeli recalled – also thanks to some drugs that have lost their patents. If we do not guarantee the maintenance of the availability of these molecules in current clinical practice, all the investment that is made in innovation loses the very reason to exist. So – he warned – it is important to invest in research and development not only of innovative drugs but also of biosimilars “.

Translated into numbers, “in the life sciences sector about 20% of the company’s entire investment is destined for research and development – observes the medical director of Sandoz -. This plays a fundamental role because it allows us to look to the future with a view to bringing new drugs and new options to patients and doctors who have to find solutions for their clients “.

“Basically – concluded Fedeli – this investment concerns three areas: extending the benefits of known therapies as much as possible, trying to make medicines available to patients and doctors for a wider audience; guaranteeing a correct reallocation of the health resources available, if the unit cost of a drug is reduced I can make sure to free up resources in the health budget that can also favor the introduction of so-called innovative drugs; put clinicians in the optimal condition to attribute the best possible therapy to potentially all patients ” .