What is in a name? Names help make medicinal products more easily distinguishable by doctors, pharmacists and patients. When you are talking about biologics, complex medicines that are manufactured using living organisms, and biosimilars, medicines that are similar to, but not the same as, innovator biologics, naming is a significant consideration.
As a pathway for biosimilars approval is implemented, a clear priority should be to craft a naming convention that both contributes to patient safety through enhanced product identification and supports access to medicines at competitive prices. For more than a decade, BIO has called for an open, transparent and science-based dialogue regarding biosimilars, and this debate over naming is a natural extension of that discussion.