Among other activities the Polish Pharmacoeconomic Society supports editing the Journal of Health Policy and Outcomes Research (JHPOR). This year, in Warsaw, on 15 March 2014, JHPOR organized 1^st Scientific Conference dedicated to “Safety aspects of treatment with monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins – the Present and the Future".

Prominent lecturers, experts with experience in the use of biological treatment, provided interesting and interdisciplinary input into the scientific program. The conference emphasized the practical aspects of issues related with biological treatment, in particular regards with to safety aspects of administering medicinal products.

Prof. Karina Jahnz-Różyk opened the conference with a lecture on current issues related to monoclonal antibodies’ and fusion proteins’ treatment.

Prof. Grieb presented the registration process of biological products and approached the idea of biosimilarity and the registration procedures and requirements in relation to biosimilars in Europe.

Clinical experts from different disease areas presented and discussed their experience with biological products use and the impact on safety of the treatment. Prof. Tłustochowicz focused his lecture on the autoimmunological diseases resulting from treatment with biological products. Prof. Filipowicz – Sosnowska, as a member of the Coordinating Team established by National Health Fund for rheumatologic diseases treatment with biological products, shared her experience in biological products use in the rheumatology area and presented the number of patients treated with biologicals. In relation to rheumatology Prof. Rutkowska – Sak presented the experience with biological treatment in pediatric population.

Prof. Płusa presented his opinion and experience with anti - IgE treatment in the allergic diseases and Prof. Owczarek approached the subject of biological therapies safety in skin diseases treatment.

Prof. Wysocki presented his positive experience with regards to solid tumors monoclonal antibodies treatment. Dr Łazicka-Gałecka presented the experience from ophthalmology and Prof. Rydzewska assessed the safety and risks of biological and biosimilar treatment in case of gastrology.

The use of biosimilar products was discussed also by Prof. Jędrzejczak based on the case of hematology. Very interesting presentation including discussion on differences in observed adverse events reported due to original biological product and biosimilar product.

During the meeting there was also a special scientific debate with the participation of lecturers and guest speakers from Ministry of Health, the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products,  Main Medical Library and AHTAPOL dedicated to the discussion on the future of treatment with monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins. The debate was an important step in the preparation of the final Polish Expert Group Position Statement on the safety of biological treatments with monoclonal antibodies and fusion proteins.

Regarding to the Polish Pharmacoeconomic Society sections activities they continue working on projects initiated last year.

The Health Related Quality of Life Section (HRQoL) finalizes activities related to Quality of Life dictionary. Currently, after receiving reviewers’ comments final modifications are made and the team is looking for potential options to publish the dictionary.

As continuation of previous year tradition an educational session dedicated to quality of life topic called “Wiosenne Spotkanie Edukacyjne Sekcji Jakości Życia Polskiego Towarzystwa Farmakoekonomicznego”( Spring educational meeting of the Quality of Life Section of Polish Pharmacoeconomic Society) was organized. It was held in Warsaw at the Medical University on 14th May 2014. During the meeting prof. Marcin Czech presented the use of conjoint analysis and other methods for measuring preferences in health care; mgr Karol Domański talked about the willingness to pay for health improvement and the use of the method of conditional selection and the EQ-5D questionnaire. The clinical significance of quality of life end points in clinical trials was discussed by prof. Maciej Niewada; dr Dominik Golicki presented the theoretical basis and practical implications for using indirect costs and quality of life in pharmacoeconomical analyses. Dr Monika Szkultecka-Dębek and mgr Marta Bem focused the audience attention on vignettes and their use in quality of life assessment.

The Therapeutic Programs, Pharmaceutical Care and Pharmaceutical Law Section (TPPCPL) continue working on adverse events costs based on therapeutic programs examples. Additionally the discussion initiated in 2013 related to biosimilar products and worked on a paper reviewing the approach to automatic substitution across Europe continued.