US Medical Term · pharmacy
Interchangeable Biosimilar
Biosimilar Intercambiable
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Interchangeable Biosimilar |
| Spanish (Español) | Biosimilar Intercambiable |
| Chinese (中文) | 可互换生物相似药 |
| Korean (한국어) | 상호 교환 가능한 바이오시밀러 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Thuốc sinh học tương đương có thể thay thế |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Interchangeable Biosimilar |
| Portuguese (Português) | Biossimilar intercambiável |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ยาชีววัตถุสมมูลที่สามารถใช้แทนกันได้ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 交換可能なバイオシミラー |
What it means
An interchangeable biosimilar is a biologic medication the FDA has determined can be substituted for its reference brand-name biologic at the pharmacy without the prescriber's intervention—similar to how generic drugs substitute for brand-name pills. To earn this designation, the manufacturer must prove that switching back and forth between the two products will not produce worse outcomes or safety concerns compared to staying on one. Pharmacists in most states can substitute an interchangeable biosimilar at the point of dispensing. Because biosimilars are typically priced lower than the original biologic, this substitution can significantly reduce your drug costs or move you to a lower copay tier.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
interchangeable biosimilar drug
medicamento biosimilar intercambiable
FDA-approved substitutable biologic
biológico sustituible aprobado por la FDA
pharmacy-substitutable biologic
biológico sustituible en la farmacia
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026