Biological medical products need pharmacy law inclusion

More Minnesotans could have access to cutting-edge treatments for chronic diseases like cancer, leukemia, MS, HIV, diabetes, epilepsy and arthritis through HF712, which the House passed in a 130-0 vote Thursday.

Rep. Tony Albright

The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is sponsored by Sen. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester).

Sponsored by Rep. Tony Albright (R-Prior Lake), the bill would update state law regarding the substitution of generic drugs to address biological products and their equivalents, called “biologics” and “biosimilars.”

“It’s a very exciting opportunity, but … we need to bring along the code as well,” Albright said on the House Floor.

Biologics are medical products made in living systems, like plant cells, and can treat the symptoms or slow the progression of many serious illnesses. But as biomedical research advances and equivalent products are created and approved by the FDA, people won’t have ready access to them under current law, Albright said.

The new legislation would update the law to allow for substitutions, as the FDA determines they are interchangeable with the prescribed biologics, unless the prescriber instructs otherwise.