The official European name for these therapies is similar biological medicinal products. However many people refer to them by the shortened term, biosimilars. In the US, the products are sometimes called follow-on protein products. More often they go by the name, follow-on biologies. All of these terms refer to a new category of medicinal product that could soon become part of medical care in the developed world. Biosimilar products are not simply generic copies of small molecule drugs. Rather, they are similar versions of originator products containing recombinant DNA-derived proteins. But like generics, they are not protected by patents. This means that once they come onto the market, they should be priced competitively and help lower the cost of medical care in many countries.
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