State Biosimilar Bill Signed into Law

A bill that allows for the substitution and use of biosimilars was signed into law by Nebraska Gov Pete Ricketts after a 47 to 0 vote by the Nebraska state legislature.

Nebraska is the 32nd state to adopt this piece of legislation. Since the bill was approved by Nebraska in May, there have been 3 more states that have passed biosimilar bills, according to KRVN.

“Biosimilars are less costly imitations of drugs known as biologics, which are used to treat a range of diseases including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s and Colitis, and psoriasis,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen John Kuehn of Heartwell, reported by KRVN. “But they are different from generics in that they are not exact copies.

“LB481 is a critical piece of legislation that updates Nebraska statutes to provide guidance for clinicians and dispensers as biosimilar products pass through the FDA approval process.”

Currently, there are 5 FDA-approved biosimilars used to treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, and plaque psoriasis.

“This legislation will open the doors to biosimilar medicines, providing additional life-changing treatment options for patients, while protecting patient safety by requiring communication by all members of the medical team,” Sen Kuehn said, reported by KRVN. “The bill provides guidance for health care providers and patients as use of these innovative products grows.

“Common sense steps to adopt the use of new technology to improve both efficiency and safety in health care, will ultimately reduce costs and improve patient outcomes.”