The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) announced that it has launched the new “Biosimilars & You: A Guide for Patients With Rheumatic Diseases” education campaign in light of Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month in September. The new campaign comes after several biosimilars were made available earlier in 2023 to treat rheumatic diseases—including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and lupus—and following a recent survey indicating that patients with these conditions may want to better understand biosimilars. As a result, the ACR collaborated with rheumatology specialists to introduce a new resource consisting of a video, infographic, patient fact sheet, and additional materials to help patients learn about the cost and efficacy of biosimilars in comparison with biologics. The ACR highlighted that biosimilars, which have long been prescribed to patients with rheumatic diseases in the United States and Europe, undergo a stringent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) verification process and must be deemed safe and effective before FDA approval. The ACR hopes their new resource can increase patient confidence in using biosimilars to manage their rheumatic diseases.
September 21, 2023