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ARTICLE · 31 DECEMBER 2019

Biosimilar medicines in Australia

Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
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The Australian Government hopes its investment in biosimilars will provide significant savings and improve competition.

AustraliaIntellectual Property
Candace (YeeWen) Wu
Candace (YeeWen) Wu
Duncan Longstaff
Duncan Longstaff
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A 'biosimilar medicine' or 'biosimilar' is a highly similar, but not identical, version of an original biological medicine ('reference medicine') – a medicine comprised of large complex molecules derived in some way from a living organism. In this sense, a biosimilar differs to some extent from a traditional small molecule "generic" medicine, which is commonly understood as a pharmaceutical product that is identical, at least in terms of active ingredients, to the original branded "originator" or "innovator" product. As the understanding and technology required to develop biological medicines continues to advance rapidly, they are increasingly prominent in the Australian and global pharmaceutical markets.

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