Biosimilars Canada Welcomes The Implementation Of Quebec's Biosimilar Policy

Biosimilars Canada today welcomed the release of the details of the Government of Quebec’s biosimilar switching policy, which will increase the use of biosimilar medicines under the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan and generate significant savings for the province.

Between July 7, 2021, and April 13, 2022, patients covered by the Quebec public drug plan who are treated with biologics drugs will be required to switch to biosimilar versions where available. The current list of products impacted as of July 7, 2021 is available here. The new policy will also apply on an ongoing basis. When biosimilar versions of originator biologics are listed on the drug formulary in the future, patients will have 6 months to switch to a biosimilar.

“Biosimilars Canada congratulates Minister Dubé and the Government of Quebec on the implementation of the biosimilar switching policy, which will support the long-term sustainability of the Quebec Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan,” said Jim Keon, President of Biosimilars Canada.

Quebec’s biosimilar policy is expected to generate annual savings of $100 million by 2022, which will be reinvested in Quebec’s healthcare system and will help improve access to innovative drug therapies. Quebec has the second-largest provincial drug plan in Canada and is the fourth province to implement a biosimilar switching policy after British Columbia, Alberta and New Brunswick. Eighty-five percent of Quebecers expressed support for switching from reference biologic drugs to biosimilar biologic drugs in a recent survey.

Biosimilars Canada and its member companies remain committed to working the Government of Quebec to ensure the successful implementation of the policy.

More information about Quebec’s biosimilar switching policy is available on the Ministry of Health and Social Services website.

About Biosimilars Canada
Biosimilars Canada is a national association representing the biosimilar medicines industry in Canada. Our member companies are at the forefront of the global development and marketing of biosimilar medicines. Biosimilars Canada provides leadership in educating Canadian stakeholders about the safety and efficacy of biosimilar medicines, and advocates for policies that support their timely approval, reimbursement, market acceptance and expanded use. Biosimilars Canada is a division of the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association. For more information, visit www.biosimilarscanada.ca.

About Biosimilar Medicines1
A biosimilar biologic drug, or biosimilar, is a drug demonstrated to be highly similar to a biologic drug that was already authorized for sale. Health Canada evaluates all the information provided to confirm that the biosimilar and the reference biologic drug are similar and that there are no clinically meaningful differences in safety and efficacy between them. Health Canada’s rigorous standards for authorization mean that you can have the same confidence in the quality, safety and efficacy of a biosimilar as any other biologic drug.