Sandoz and healthcare experts discuss the role of biosimilars in increasing patient access to rheumatology care in Vietnam
Xem Tiếng Việt 
Sandoz (SIX:SDZ/OTCQX:SDZNY), the global leader in affordable medicines, in collaboration with the Ho Chi Minh City Rheumatology Association (HRA) and the Vietnam Rheumatology Association (VRA), convened a two-city scientific conference series titled “Biosimilars in Rheumatology: Scientific Dialogue on Sustainable Care.”
Held in Ho Chi Minh City on 25 April and Hanoi on 6 June, the conferences brought together nearly 300 healthcare professionals from across Vietnam, including 160 participants in Ho Chi Minh City and 120 in Hanoi. Attendees included hospital leaders, specialist physicians, pharmacists, policymakers and medical experts, reflecting growing interest in sustainable treatment pathways for patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases.
Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases represent a significant and growing health burden in Vietnam, with population-based studies estimating that around 15% of adults are affected.(1) Among these, rheumatic autoimmune diseases – including rheumatoid arthritis and related conditions – are chronic, progressive illnesses that can significantly affect patients’ quality of life and contribute to long-term disability. Despite advances in treatment, affordability and healthcare system constraints continue to impact optimal disease management.
Over the past two decades, biologic therapies have become an important treatment option for many patients, significantly improving disease control and long-term outcomes. However, their cost remains a key barrier to access. As demand for biologic medicines continues to grow globally – with the market projected to expand from approximately USD 400 billion in 2024 to more than USD 650 billion by 2030(2) – healthcare systems are increasingly challenged to balance patient access to innovative therapies with long-term sustainability.
“Expanding access to advanced therapies while ensuring the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems is one of the defining challenges facing healthcare today,” said Mr. Charaf Eddine Kadri, General Director of Sandoz Vietnam. “As we mark 20 years of biosimilars at Sandoz, we remain committed to advancing scientific dialogue and collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem. We believe biosimilars are not only a therapeutic alternative, but also a policy-aligned solution that can help expand patient access while supporting the sustainable use of healthcare resources.”
Against this backdrop, biosimilars are increasingly recognised as a key enabler of both patient access and healthcare sustainability. Supported by rigorous scientific evidence and extensive clinical experience, they offer an opportunity to broaden access to biologic therapies while helping healthcare systems make more efficient use of limited resources.
The conference series featured contributions from leading rheumatology experts, healthcare policymakers and international speakers. Discussions focused on biologic therapies in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases, treatment optimisation across patient populations, and emerging evidence and experience with biosimilars.
Speaking at the Ho Chi Minh City conference, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Khoa, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Rheumatology Association and Head of the Rheumatology Department at Cho Ray Hospital, emphasised the growing importance of sustainable treatment pathways.
“The need for effective, long-term and sustainable treatment for patients with rheumatic autoimmune diseases is becoming increasingly urgent,” said Dr. Khoa. “Biologic therapies have played a very important role in improving treatment outcomes, helping to better control disease activity and improve patients’ quality of life. The challenge now is how to make these modern therapies more widely accessible while ensuring the sustainability of the healthcare system. Biosimilars, supported by scientific evidence, clinical data and practical experience, can help expand access to treatment for more patients.”
Across both conferences, speakers and participants highlighted the important role of biosimilars in expanding access to biologic therapies while supporting healthcare sustainability amid growing healthcare demand.
“Today’s discussions have demonstrated the value of bringing together clinical expertise, scientific evidence and policy perspectives,” Mr. Charaf Eddine Kadri concluded. “By continuing to foster dialogue and collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem, we can help improve patient outcomes and support more sustainable access to advanced therapies for people living with rheumatic autoimmune diseases.”
20 years ago, Sandoz pioneered the world’s first biosimilar, reflecting two decades of scientific and clinical experience in helping expand access to biologic medicines around the world. As demand for advanced therapies continues to grow, Sandoz is continuing to strengthen its end-to-end biosimilar capabilities to support future innovation and patient access.
(1) Hoa TT et al. Prevalence of the rheumatic diseases in urban Vietnam: a WHO‑ILAR COPCORD study. Journal of Rheumatology. 2003;30(10):2252–2256
(2) Numbers presented at the conference
