Jan. 3, 2023

Understanding the difference between biologics and biosimilars is very important. We want our physicians to be knowledgeable on this subject so they can provide their patients, our members, with accurate and beneficial information.

What are biologics?

Biologics include various products such as vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, blood components and so forth. These types of medicines generally come from living organisms. Biologics are used to treat a wide range of diseases and conditions, such as cancer, kidney diseases and autoimmune diseases.

What are biosimilars?

A biosimilar is a biologic that is highly similar to another biologic that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), called a reference product. There are no clinically meaningful differences between biosimilars and their reference product in terms of safety, purity and potency.

Biosimilars have the same course of administration to patients, strength, dosage form and potential side effects. An added plus is that biosimilars may offer more affordable treatment options to patients, similar to generic drugs.

View the FDA’s bulletin* on this subject to learn more.

Available education courses

To help physicians understand more on biosimilars, the FDA is offering continued education courses at no cost. Physicians must have a Medscape account* to access the courses. After registering, access these accredited continuing education courses:

• Biosimilar 101: A Primer for Your Practice*
  • Credit: 0.25
• Test Your Skill: Incorporating Biosimilar into the Management of Patients with Immunological Conditions*
  • Credit: 1.00
• Biosimilars in the Real World: Perspectives for Staying Within the Scope of Care*
  • Credit: 0.50
• Putting the Patient into Perspective: Strategies for Educating Patients About Biosimilars*
  • Credit: 0.25

If you have any questions about this bulletin, contact the Provider Education team at Provider.Education@bcbssc.com or 803-264-4730 .

The FDA and Medscape are independent organizations that provide health information you may find helpful. 

*These links lead to third-party sites. Their organizations are solely responsible for the content and privacy policies on the sites.