Biosimilar uptake in the MENA region: Strategies and challenges

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Yazan Shaban

Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Jordan

: J Nephrol Ren Dis

Abstract

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The present study investigated eight rice lines (Rupsal, Nagalmutha, Biosimilar medications represent a new challenging frontier for the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region healthcare landscape. While the region is suffering from political and economic challenges, the need for cost savings promised by the introduction of biosimilar medications has become of great interest to policy makers in the region. In spite of this, misconceptions about the biosimilar approval pathways, lack of robust regulatory frameworks, varying drug purchasing regulations and ongoing debate regarding switching, interchangeability and extrapolation is hindering these products from achieving their maximum potential. Companies who want to enter the biosimilar business have to implement a diverse and complicated strategy to navigate through this turbulent landscape.

Biography

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Yazan Shaban has graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy from the University of Jordan, Jordan and in 2014 has completed his MBA degree from the German Jordanian University, Jordan. Since 2008, he has worked in varying positions in the Pharmaceutical Industry having worked for Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc, MSD and Jansenn. As a Brand Manager for Biosimilars in Hikma Pharmaceutical, he has been responsible for launching Remsima in the MENA region as the first monoclonal antibody biosimilar to be approved by MENA authorities.

E-mail: Yazan.shaban@gmail.com