The development and use of biologic drugs – such as Herceptin and Mabthera – has revolutionised the treatment of many cancers, and biological medicines now make up the largest spending area in the NHS medicines budget. Biologic drugs make up six of the top ten medicines prescribed in UK hospitals by spend. As patents begin to run out on this first wave of biological cancer drugs, biosimilars – which are much cheaper to produce – will start becoming available and could be cost-effective for the NHS.
Speakers:
Jatinder Harchowal, Chief Pharmacist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Medicines Optimisation Lead for RM Partners
Dr Sunil Iyengar, Consultant Haematologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust