The Evolving Impact of Biosimilars and Pharmacists When Treating Multiple Sclerosis: Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

"The wave of biosimilars in MS and other areas demands proactive education, bridging gaps in provider experience, and engaging key opinion leaders for transparent discussions."

The management of multiple sclerosis (MS), specifically relapsing-remitting MS, greatly depends on biologic disease-modifying therapies. Nevertheless, the current expense of these types of treatments poses a notable challenge in terms of patient accessibility. In the upcoming years, the exclusivity periods for key biologic medicines employed in MS are anticipated to conclude which will create opportunities for biosimilar medicines to become available in the market.¹

Recently, Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA, director of pharmacy at Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute, sat down in an interview with NeurologyLive® to discuss the state of care for MS and the role of pharmacies and biosimilars. He also talked about how the relationship between the pharmacist and the provider has evolved, through developing a plan for the patient and making sure they are educated as a whole.

He spoke about how he anticipates access to MS treatments will change from a physician perspective, and how they will need to work with specialty pharmacies. In addition, he explained the key role of specialty pharmacists going forward, and how they play a role in improving access for patients. Notably, he shared his thoughts on how practices can work with payers to change these ongoing trends, to improve that access, and potentially even improve the market competition for these treatments.

REFERENCES
1. Greenberg B, Giovannoni G. A place for biosimilars in the changing multiple sclerosis treatment landscape. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2023;77:104841. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2023.104841