Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Northeastern Pennsylvania is blessed with having four members on the state House of Representatives Health Committee – Reps. Matthew Baker, Tarah Toohil, Aaron Kaufer and Gerald Mullery.
Before their committee is Senate Bill 514, a bill to update Pennsylvania law to accommodate the safe introduction of biosimilar drugs for treatment of many painful, debilitating illnesses such as arthritis, cancer and others. This legislation is important because it not only updates our laws to keep pace with medical innovation, but also because it gives physicians another weapon in their arsenal to combat sickness.
Biologics are complex, large molecule drugs developed from living materials. Biosimilars are just that – similar but not identical. Because of this, they can produce different side effects for different patients. But under current law, they would be treated the same as a generic drug with the same active ingredients.
SB 514 will change that be requiring U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a biosimilar drug as interchangeable with the biologic it seeks to copy and require the doctor be notified of any substitution by the pharmacist.
As a diabetic, I urge our local representatives to act on this important legislation in the interest of patient safety.
Alan J. Lispi
Scranton