3rd Colombian educational workshop on regulatory assessment of biosimilars 2019 – Report

Introduction: Biosimilars have the potential to improve access to medicines for many across the globe. However, work is required to ensure adequate regulation, pharmacovigilance and education about biosimilars. Colombia implemented biosimilars regulation in 2017 and a 3rd Colombian Educational Workshop was organized by GaBI and the Instituto Nacional de Vigilancia de Medicamentos y Alimentos (INVIMA) in 2019 to follow up on progress and provide a forum for further discussion. Methods: The 3rd Colombian Educational Workshop on Regulatory Assessment was held in Bogotá, Colombia on 30 April 2019. The format included expert speaker presentations, a panel discussion, Q&A sessions and case study workgroup discussions. Participants included regulators, clinicians, pharmacists, academics and healthcare professionals from Colombia who are involved in biological/ biosimilar medicines evaluation, and expert speakers from Canada, Europe and the US. Results: Presentations and topics of discussion included the current status of biosimilars regulation in Colombia, how to carry out a quality assessment of a biological/biosimilar, pharmacological and clinical studies, and extrapolation of indications. Conclusion: The meeting helped to clarify many regulatory concepts and concerns, and highlighted Colombia’s initial successes since the implementation of its regulatory guidelines. In addition, the meeting acted as a forum to exchange knowledge on best practice, and to discuss pharmacovigilance and the future plans for education regarding biosimilars in Colombia. Several key action points were concluded following the discussions.