Pangaea Express: Quebec Announces Biosimilars Switch Strategy

Quebec will be moving to a biosimilars only program by April 12, 2022. The Minister of Health and Social Services announced yesterday that the province will shift to a biosimilars switching policy whereby only biosimilar drugs will be covered on RAMQ. As such, patients who use a brand name or originator biologic for which one or more biosimilar drugs are listed, will have to switch to a biosimilar by April 12, 2022 Expected savings of more than $100 million annually will be reinvested to enable access to future innovative therapies. The government will release further information as well as resources for patients and healthcare professionals.

Quebec now joins B.C., Alberta and New Brunswick in a non-medical switching strategy for biologic drugs. It is still predicted that other provinces will continue to follow suit.

For more information, please contact Ghislain Gauthier or Marc Lafoley.