Devon Salasin is a junior at Penn State University and a talented snow skier. So good, that she recently placed 23rd在全国大学高山滑雪比赛的107名滑雪者中但对德文来说，滑雪并不总是那么轻松有趣。
In 2011, Devon was diagnosed withjuvenile rheumatoid arthritis(JRA). Overnight she went from a carefree kid pursuing her snow ski racing passion to a kid burdened with pain, swollen and deteriorating joints, and fatigue.
戴文很难找到有效治疗关节炎的药物。她尝试了三种不同的生物药物，但都失败了，直到找到一种有效。两年后，她成为宾夕法尼亚州高山赛跑冠军。
Can you imagine what could happen if Devon’s biologic medication were switched with newbiosimilardrugs without her or her physician’s knowledge and consent?
Biosimilar medications are similar but not exact duplicates or generic versions of biologic drugs. While their introduction into the market place provides another treatment option for people living with arthritis, their effects could vary as compared to their biologic counterpart.
Thankfully, Devon doesn’t have to worry any more.
2016年7月20日，宾夕法尼亚州州长汤姆·沃尔夫(Tom Wolf)签署了参议院第514号法案(SB 514)，即通用等效药品法。该法案要求当生物药物处方中含有生物仿制药时，与病人和医生进行沟通。它也为医生提供了替代治疗的机会，特别是当患者已经在服用一种有效治疗他们的关节炎的生物制剂时。
“Without my biologic medicine, my story could be very different,” said Devon. “I, like all children with JRA, deserve the right to a productive life and a chance to give back to society as functioning people. This bill will help me stay in remission.”
Our Advocates actively lobbied for passage of SB 514 over the past two years,most recently at the 2016 Pennsylvania Advocacy & Access Day on June 29, 2016. Advocates met legislators at face-to-face meetings and contacted them by US Mail, email and phone, telling their arthritis story and urging them to support the bill.
Their voices were heard!
On June 30, the day after our Advocacy & Access Day, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved the bill with a vote of 195 to 0. Then, on July 11, the bill was passed by the Senate by a vote of 48 to 0. With overwhelming bipartisanship support of the bill, Governor Wolf signed the bill into law.
Hanna Gruen is one of our Pennsylvania Advocates and lobbied for passage of SB 514.
“Fantastic,” said Hanna, when she heard the bill passed. “It proves, once again, how prolonged, kind badgering and patience brings success!”
Issues affecting access to care exist in every state. Learn how you can use your voice and arthritis story to make real and meaningful change, like SB 514, byjoining our Advocate program.