Oncology Peer Review On-The-Go: BPCIA, 4-Letter Suffix Rule, & the Challenges of Prescribing Biosimilars

In this episode of Oncology Peer Review On-The-Go, CancerNetwork® spoke with 2 experts on the topic of biosimilars, Howard Hochster, MD, FACP, associate director for Clinical Research at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey as well as co-editor in chief of the journal ONCOLOGY®, and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Rutgers School of Medicine, and Michael Kane, RPh, BCOP, executive director of Oncology Pharmacy Services for RWJBarnabas Health and director of Pharmacy Services and the Research Pharmacy at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

The episode dives into the history of biosimilars, including the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) passed by the United States Congress in 2009 and the subsequent 4-letter suffix rule used to identify biologics products without confusion. The participants also analyzed some of the unintended consequences of these acts, and what they suggest for improving the current system.

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