Ask Dr Miriam

QA friend of mine has diabetes and says her doctor has started her on a ‘biosimilar’. Neither of us knows what a biosimilar is. Can you explain? Biosimilars are the equivalent of an original medicine so they have the same effect and have been approved by the same standards of quality, safety and effectiveness, though they may not be identical.

It’s interesting that your friend has been given an insulin biosimilar because it’s the only one that’s currently being prescribed

Aby GPs. Even in hospitals, biosimilars have been slow to be taken up by health trusts in the UK. There are all kinds of reasons given for the poor uptake of biosimilars but some of them concern patients’ confusion over different names and different looking tablets or capsules.

Another reason is a perceived lack of effectiveness.

Once a biosimilar has been licensed there should be no concerns about starting treatment with it. I’m sure your friend is being well looked after.