euro-gastroenterology-clinical-pharmacy-2019-tracks

Euro Gastroenterology 2019 & Clinical Pharmacy 2019

Archives of General Internal Medicine | ISSN: 2591-7951 | Volume 3

Page 28

Note:

March 25-26, 2019 | Amsterdam, Netherlands

GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY

International Conference on

CLINICAL PHARMACY & PHARMACY PRACTICE

World Congress on

Joint Event on

OF EXCELLENCE

IN INTERNATIONAL

MEETINGS

YEARS

APPLICATIONS OF BIOLOGIC DRUGS-BASED BIOSIMILARS ON NSCLC

Sofia K, Papaspiliou A, Grapsa D, Siamidi A

and

Syrigos K

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece

iological products contain active substances and are usually large, complex proteins abundant in living cells.

They are used to treat and cure many diseases, however, patient access is restricted due to their high cost. A

biosimilar is a biological medicine, which is highly similar to an already existing biological product in terms of

structure, purity, immunogenicity, safety and efficacy. Biosimilars aim at improving access to disease modifying

therapies, reducing the cost of development and the market’s price. They are a way to increase treatment options

and lower healthcare costs. Only minor differences between a biologic and a biosimilar are acceptable. In order

for a biosimilar to be interchangeable it must meet additional requirements, enlisted in the Biologics Price Com-

petition and Innovation Act. Bevacizumab (Avastin) is an anti-angiogenic therapy that blocks a protein named

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and is indicated for many cancer types, including Non-Small Cell Lung

Cancer (NSCLC). As all the biologic therapies it has a very high cost, thus limiting access to many patients. The first

biosimilar for bevacizumab, named Mvasi, was approved in 2017 for the treatment of certain colorectal cancers,

NSCLC, cervical cancer and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. In the near future, a number of bevacizumab bio-

similars are expected to be available in the market, which will be authorised for most of the prototype biologic

indications. The aim of this study is to investigate all the clinical trials in progress for bevacizumab’s biosimilars

and their proposed indications.

Sofia K et al., Arch Gen Intern Med 2019, Volume 3 | DOI: 10.4066/2591-7951-C1-023

Sofia K, MSc in clinical pharmacy (UCL, UK) is currently a PhD student at the Medical School, National and Kapodistrian

University of Athens. She is a recipient of an Onassis foundation scholarship (G ZO 011-1/2018-2019) in clinical phar

macology-oncology. She has participated in various conferences worldwide. She has published five articles in peer re-

viewed journals and one book chapter.

BIOGRAPHY