From May 23 to 24, 2025, Pfizer Vietnam, in collaboration with Vietnam Cancer Association and Vietnam Cancer Immunotherapy Association, organized a scientific conference “A Comprehensive Perspective on Biosimilars” aiming to provide opportunities for professional development, knowledge exchange, and practical insights between international experts and Vietnamese healthcare professionals in the current and future context of breast cancer treatment with biologic therapies. The initiative also contributes to enhancing budget sustainability and ensuring the quality of breast cancer care in Vietnam.

The event welcomed renowned speakers, including PhD. Dr. Paul Cornes, Consultant Oncologist at the Comparative Outcomes Group (UK); Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Dieu, President of Vietnam Cancer Association; and Assoc. Prof. Pharm. Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Senior Lecturer, Former Head of Clinical Pharmacy Department - Hanoi University of Pharmacy; PhD. Dr. Le Thi Yen, Head of Quan Su Medical Oncology Department – K hospital; Specialist Level 2. Pharm. Vu Dinh Tien, Vice Director of K hospital; PhD. Dr. Diep Bao Tuan, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital; PhD. Pharm. Nguyen Quoc Binh – Vice Director of Cho Ray Hospital; Assoc. Prof. Pharm. Nguyen Tuan Dung, Senior Lecturer, Former Head of  the Clinical Pharmacy Department at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City; PhD. Dr. Phan Thi Hong Duc, Head of Medical Oncology Department – Breast, GI, Liver, Urinary - Ho Chi Minh Oncology Hospital. The conference drew the participation of over 250 healthcare professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, and leading experts across Vietnam.

The discussed topics at the conference included the role of biologic therapies in breast cancer treatment, the outlook for biosimilars in Vietnam, and the global development and strategic application of biosimilars. These discussions have reflected the increasingly vital role of biosimilars in global healthcare systems in recent years.

Like many other countries, Vietnam continues to see a rise in cancer incidence. According to GLOBOCAN 2022, Vietnam recorded 180,480 new cancer cases and 120,184 cancer-related deaths ¹. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer among women in the country, with 24,563 new cases, accounting for 28.9% of female cancers ¹ — and over 10,000 deaths, representing 8.3% of all cancer-related deaths in Vietnam ¹. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the global number of breast cancer diagnoses could reach 3.1 million by 2040 ².
HER2-positive breast cancer is known to be more aggressive than other subtypes 3. Many reports have showed that HER2 positive breast cancer accounts for approximately 20% of all breast cancer cases ³.

Despite progress in treatment choices, breast cancer patients still face challenges such as drug resistance to anti-HER2 drugs lead to reduced treatment efficacy ⁴ and high costs ⁵. Therefore, early diagnoses and access to biologic therapies are critical factors that not only improve treatment outcomes but also help reduce the overall cost of care for patients.

The development of biosimilars has brought substantial value to healthcare systems and patients. Several biosimilars approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ⁶ and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) ⁷ have demonstrated high levels of safety and efficacy ⁸, while alleviating the financial burden for patients, healthcare systems and society.

According to the Food and Drug Agency (FDA), biosimilars are safe and effective biologic medicines that are used to treat a variety of chronic and serious conditions, including some types of cancer. They offer patients expanded access to important foundational therapies and help reduce treatment costs ⁹.

Sharing his global perspective at the conference, Dr. Paul Cornes - Consultant Oncologist at the Comparative Outcomes Group stated: “For a biosimilar to be truly valuable, it must fulfill two conditions: firstly, it must offer equivalent therapeutic outcomes to the originator product ¹⁰; and secondly, it must help reduce healthcare costs, creating economic value for payers and healthcare systems ¹⁰.”

“At the 2018 annual EU Biosimilar Medicines Stakeholders Meeting at the European Commission, it was confirmed that biosimilars approved in Europe have the same efficacy, safety and quality as the original biologics. Similarly, the U.S. FDA affirms that biosimilars are highly similar to their reference products, with no clinically meaningful differences in safety, purity, or potency. Produced from the same types of biological sources—such as living cells or microorganisms—biosimilars function in the same way and have proven effective in improving health outcomes across various medical conditions ¹¹. Now, the challenge is to optimize their economic value by biosimilar and sharing best practices and collecting real‑world data—so that countries like Vietnam can identify and apply the most effective solutions ¹⁰.”

Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Tuan Dung echoed this view, noting: “The introduction of biosimilars has played a critical role in easing the financial burden on patients, expanding access to essential therapies and enabling them to extend their lives. Leading global pharmaceutical companies continue to develop new biosimilars to enhance treatment outcomes, and in Vietnam, the demand for biosimilars is growing rapidly ¹².”

Mr. Darrell Oh, General Director of Pfizer Vietnam, reaffirmed the company’s commitment: “At Pfizer, patients are at the heart of everything we do. That’s why we continuously work alongside Vietnam’s health organizations and government agencies to share the latest global scientific knowledge in prevention and treatment. With today’s rapid medical advancements, innovative treatments are opening new opportunities for cancer patients in general, and breast cancer patients specifically. Besides, the availability of biosimilars not only expands access to modern and efficient therapies that can extend and improve lives but also provides a more affordable treatment option.”

Reference:
1. Global Cancer Observatory. (2022). Vietnam statistics at a glance. Globocan 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/704-viet-nam-fact-sheet.pdf.
2. United Nations. (2019). Low-cost breast cancer medicine move good news for women: UN health agency. United Nations News. Retrieved: April 1, 2025, from https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1053831
3. Dilday, T., & Yeh, E. (2022). Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive breast cancer. ScienceDirect. Retrieved: April 11, 2025, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-positive-breast-cancer
4. Cao, Y., Li, Y., Liu, R., Zhou, J., & Wang, K. (2023). Preclinical and Basic Research Strategies for Overcoming Resistance to Targeted Therapies in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer. PubMed Central. Retrieved: April 11, 2025, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10177527/
Kneipp, J. M., Kelly, P. A., Lutz, B. J., Miller, M. J., & Roy, C. (2021). Health Care Resource Utilization and Costs for Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients 5. Newly Treated with Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2)-Targeted Agents. ScienceDirect. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1526820921003499
6. Pfizer Inc. (2019, March 11). U.S. FDA approves Pfizer’s oncology biosimilar TRAZIMERA™ (trastuzumab-qyyp), a biosimilar to Herceptin®. Pfizer. https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/u_s_fda_approves_pfizer_s_oncology_biosimilar_trazimera_trastuzumab_qyyp_a_biosimilar_to_herceptin_1
7. Pfizer Inc. (2018, July 31). Pfizer receives European approval for oncology biosimilar, TRAZIMERA™ (trastuzumab). Pfizer. https://www.pfizer.com/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer_receives_european_approval_for_oncology_biosimilar_trazimera_trastuzumab-0
8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Biosimilars Basics for Patients. FDA. Retrieved May 9, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/biosimilars/biosimilars-basics-patients
9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Biosimilars. FDA. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/therapeutic-biologics-applications-bla/biosimilars
10. Reference from Digestive Cancer Europe. (2019, June). Fostering the essential value of biosimilar medicines by inspiring best practices. Digestive Cancer Europe. Fostering Biosimilar Medicines, Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://digestivecancers.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/469-Document-Fosteringbiosimilarmedicines.pdf
11. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). 9 Things to Know About Biosimilars and Interchangeable Biosimilars. FDA. Retrieved May 9, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/things-know-about/9-things-know-about-biosimilars-and-interchangeable-biosimilars
12. Ministry of Health. (2015). Guidelines for non-clinical and clinical studies of biosimilars in Vietnam (p. 4). https://asttmoh.vn/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Huong-dan-Biosimilar-Final.pdf

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The information contained in this release is as of May 24, 2025. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

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