For equal efficacy and safety, biosimilar drugs require much less research and development than their reference biologics, since they are a very similar copy. This means they are much cheaper to produce. The money saved can be reinvested. In this way biosimilars support ongoing innovation, make it possible to continue reimbursing drugs for Quebecers insured by RAMQ and help keep RAMQ sustainable.
Efficacy
A number of properly designed clinical studies with a large number of patients have shown that biosimilar drugs are as effective as their reference biologic drug.
Biosimilar drugs work the same way as their reference biologic drug. If a patient switches from a biologic drug to a biosimilar drug or starts their treatment with a biosimilar drug, the outcome will be the same as if they were treated with the reference biologic drug.
