| مستخلص: |
BACKGROUND: Monoclonal antibodies are a unique class of medications that use larger molecules with specific targets for the treatment of cancer. With drug patents expiring and biosimilar availability increasing, there is a need to determine if biosimilars offer similar benefits to the reference drugs without increasing the adverse events. OBJECTIVE: To compile the available data to analyze biosimilars for clinical efficacy and adverse events compared with the reference drugs, because biosimilar drugs only need to show similar pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to the reference drugs to gain approval. DISCUSSION: Currently, 5 biosimilars are available for use in patients with cancer, including bevacizumab, filgrastim, pegfilgrastim, rituximab, and trastuzumab (epoetin alfa was not approved at the time this article was written and is therefore not included). CONCLUSION: With the increased availability of biosimilar agents, clinicians have an increased arsenal with which to target malignancies. Current clinical studies that compare biosimilars with the reference drugs have shown no meaningful differences between them. Education on the similarities of biosimilar drugs with reference drugs and the potential cost-savings of using biosimilars can alleviate concerns that providers and patients may have about the use of biosimilars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
