Patients Report Satisfaction With Biosimilar Treatment, But Demonstrate Lack of Overall Knowledge

Results From a Systematic Review

According to a recent systematic review, patients were satisfied with treatment using biosimilars but had limited knowledge, which correlated with some patients having doubts about the quality, clinical effects, and regulation process.

In this systematic review, 2197 Chinese or English studies concerning patients’ perceptions of biosimilars from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were evaluated between 1 January 2018 and 1 October 2022. A total of 43 studies were included, 37 of which were cross-sectional quantitative studies, 3 were quasi-experimental studies, and 3 were qualitative studies based on interviews. The sample sizes ranged from 9 to 6554 patients.

Of the 31 studies that investigated patients’ acceptance of biosimilars, 22 found most participants expressed satisfaction with treatment using biosimilars. Negative influences on patients’ attitudes included doubts about clinical effects and the regulatory approval pathway. While most participants understood the economic advantages of biosimilars, some incorrectly thought the lower price correlated to lower quality.

Overall, patients generally lacked knowledge about biosimilars, with 6% to 51% being familiar with biosimilars and 25% to 58% expressing that they did not know enough about biosimilars. The main sources of information on biosimilars for patients were physicians, pharmacists, medicine agencies, academia, and patient associations.

Qiyou Wu, MD, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China, and coauthors wrote, “Healthcare providers not informing or advising patients about switching may hinder patients from acquiring enough knowledge.”

Dr Wu et al concluded that a majority of patients expressed satisfaction with treatment using biosimilars, but that limited knowledge may continue to impede their perceptions. They added, “It is essential to maintain a focus on educating healthcare professionals about biosimilars, including their clinical outcomes and the regulatory pathway, which equips them to provide comprehensive and informed guidance to patients.”

Source:

Wu Q, Wang Z, Wang X, et al. Patients’ perceptions of biosimilars: A systematic review. BioDrugs. Published online September 9, 2023. doi:10.1007/s40259-023-00620-7