Considerations for Biosimilar Adoption in Pediatrics: A Scoping Review

The growing number of indications and patent expirations for biologic drugs has created opportunities for market expansion of biosimilars; however, biosimilar uptake in children has lagged behind adults. There is limited clinical evidence for the use of biosimilars in pediatrics, thereby creating uncertainty surrounding safety and efficacy in children. This scoping review sought to identify themes related to biosimilar adoption in pediatrics to inform decision-making at pediatric healthcare institutions in Canada and internationally.

A review of the academic and grey literature relevant to pediatrics was conducted. The OVID Medline, Embase and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts databases were searched from inception to September 20, 2024. This was complemented by a search of the websites of major regulatory and health technology assessment (HTA) agencies internationally and select professional organizations impacted by biosimilars. Studies relevant to pediatrics that discussed considerations for institutional decision-making about biosimilar use were included. Studies written from the regulatory, payor or industry perspective about market entry, those not written in English or those focused solely on biosimilar use for non-pediatric indications were excluded. Study and patient characteristics and the type of biosimilar drug were extracted from the included studies. The aims, key findings and recommendations from these studies were summarized to determine preliminary themes, which were refined in consultation with institutional stakeholders.

A total of 35 articles were included, of which 26 were pediatric specific or referred to pediatrics in the article. The other nine articles did not refer specifically to pediatrics but included general themes that were applicable to both adults and pediatrics. Results were categorized into 14 themes under two overarching categories. Substantive principles consisted of clinical trial evidence, real-world experience, regulatory approval, cost and affordability, availability of supply, suitability of dosage forms for pediatrics, societal values and health risks. Procedural principles consisted of approval body and stakeholder representation, interchangeability, inventory management, computerized physician order entry (CPOE) builds and maintenance, education, and follow-up and monitoring. The implications of the themes on pediatric institutional decision-making informed the development of a policy framework for biosimilar adoption in pediatrics.

A key health-system gap in pediatric biosimilar adoption was identified. There is a need for robust pediatric efficacy and safety studies by industry during the product development stage prior to market approval. Sustained development of pharmacovigilance systems and patient registries will be important to generate more real-world evidence on interchangeability, validate extrapolation to off-label pediatric indications and enhance patient and provider confidence in biosimilars.