In contrast to most medicines which are small molecule drugs, biologics are a class of medicines that are complex proteins produced within living cells. Many newer medicines being developed, especially against cancers and immune disorders are biologics . Unfortunately, all biologics are enormously expensive. And though India has led the world in making low-cost generic available for chemical pharmaceuticals, when it comes to biosimilars, which is the generic version of a biologic, we are struggling to make the transition. In this conversation three experts in this domain discuss why this need not be so. In Part I, of this conversation, the discussion is on biosimilars. In Part II we shall introduce the challenges associated with new biologics innovation and access.
2026 May
Federalism and Decentralization are both necessary and desirable for progress towards Universal Health Care and a Right to Health and Healthcare. But do states have the fiscal space to make such a commitment? In this conversation with Dr Gautam Chakraborty, we explore questions of how best to organise public financing to enable states to achieve this: and this includes both questions of how to mobilise the necessary financial resources and how to spend it.