EUROPEANS LEAD WITH BIOSIMILARS

While US regulators and lawmakerscontinue to bargain overproposals to speed the introductionof cost-saving biosimilardrugs, their counterparts in theEuropean Union (EU) are makingsignificant strides to provide these new types of generics topatients on the Continent.

"The European Commission has already approved 5 biosimilarmedicines, and regulators there announced late last yearthat as many as 16 new applications for approval of biosimilarmedicines had been received by the end of 2007," officials atthe European Generic Medicines Association (EGA) said.

The potential for savings to Europeans from biosimilars isenormous, the EGA added. "Generic medicines now on the marketcurrently save the EU an estimated €20 billion each year,"the association said.