Generics applications under review by EMA – July 2019

Generics/General | Posted 02/08/2019 post-comment0 Post your comment

Generic medicines in Europe can be approved either centrally via the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or nationally via the local regulatory body [1]. Approval by EMA takes place by using a centralized procedure. This leads to approval of the product in all 28 European Union (EU) Member States and in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. At a country level, if approval in a single EU Member State only is required, this can take place using the national procedure. However, as soon as a company seeks approval in two or more Member States, a decentralized procedure or mutual recognition procedure must be used [2].

47 MD001813

According to EMA’s list of applications for new human medicines under evaluation by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) released on 9 July 2019, the agency is currently reviewing 24 applications for marketing approval in the EU for generics. The applications include one for a generic version of Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s schizophrenia drug Abilify (aripiprazole), one for a generic version of Janssen-Cilag’s multiple myeloma treatment Velcade (bortezomib), one for Amgen’s hyperparathyroidism treatment Mimpara/Sensipar (cinacalcet), one for Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi’s blood-clot treatment DuoPlavin (clopidogrel/ acetylsalicylic acid) and one for a generic version of Pfizer’s bacterial infection treatment Tygacil (tigecycline), for which there are already generics approved by EMA for all EU countries, see Table 1.

Table 1: Generics under review by EMA*
Common name Therapeutic area Number of applications EMA approved originator(s) Originator company(ies)
Apixaban Anti-thrombotic medicine (anti-blood clot) 1 Eliquis Bristol-Myers Squibb
Aripiprazole Psycoleptic (schizophrenia) 1 Abilify Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Arsenic trioxide Anti-neoplastic medicine (anti-cancer) 2 Trisenox Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Azacitidine Anti-neoplastic medicines (anti-cancer) 3 Vidaza Celgene (Pharmion Corporation)
Bortezomib Anti-neoplastic medicines (anti-cancer) 1 Velcade Janssen-Cilag
Cabazitaxel Anti-neoplastic medicines (anti-cancer) 1 Jevtana sanofi-aventis
Cinacalcet Calcium homeostasis 1 Mimpara/Sensipar Amgen
Clofarabine Anti-neoplastic medicines (anti-cancer) 1 Evoltra Genzyme
Clopidogrel/ acetylsalicylic acid Anti-thrombotic medicines (anti-blood clot) 1 DuoPlavin Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi
Dasatinib Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 1 Sprycel Bristol-Myers Squibb
Deferasirox Other therapeutic medicines (iron chelator) 2 Exjade Novartis
Dexmedetomidine Psycholeptic (sedative) 1 Dexdor Orion
Doxorubicin Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 2 Caelyx/Myocet Janssen-Cilag/ Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Erlotinib Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 1 Tarceva Roche
Fingolimod Immunosuppressant (multiple sclerosis) 2 Gilenya Novartis
Melphalan Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 1 Alkeran ApoPharma
Methylthioninium chloride Diagnostic medicine 1 Proveblue Provepharm SAS
Tigecycline Antibacterials for systemic use 1 Tygacil Pfizer
Total   24    
*Data collected on 26 July 2019.
Source: EMA

First-time pan-European generics under review by EMA include one for a generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s anti-blood clot preventer Eliquis (apixaban), two for generics of Teva’s leukaemia drug Trisenox (arsenic trioxide), three for generics of Celgene’s treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome Vidaza (azacitidine), one for a generic version of Janssen-Cilag’s prostate cancer drug Jevtana (cabazitaxel), one for a generic version of Genzyme's leukaemia medicine Evoltra (clofarabine), one for a generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s leukaemia drug Sprycel (dasatinib), two for generic versions of iron chelator Exjade (deferasirox) from Novartis, one for a generic version of Orion’s psycholeptic Dexdor (dexmedetomidine), two for generic versions of Janssen-Cilag/Teva’s chemotherapy drug Caelyx/Myocet (doxorubicin), one for a generic version of Roche’s anticancer drug Tarceva (erlotinib), one for a generic version of multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya (fingolimod) from Novartis, one for a generic version of chemotherapy drug Alkeran (melphalan) and one for a generic version of ProvePharma’s methaemoglobinaemia treatment Proveblue (methylthioninium chloride).

Since the last report entitled Generics applications under review by EMA – January 2019 by GaBI Online, EMA has approved two generic versions of Glaxo’s pulmonary hypertension drug Volibris (ambrisentan), one generic version of HIV drug Reyataz (atazanavir), one generic version of gout treatment Adenuric (febuxostat), one for a generic version of Addmedica’s leukaemia and cervical cancer drug Siklos (hydroxycarbamide), one for a generic version of GE Healthcare’s neuroimaging drug DaTSCAN (ioflupane (123l), one for a generic version of Celgene’s chemotherapy drug Abraxane (paclitaxel) and one for a generic version of MSD’s fungus treatment Noxafil (posaconazole).

Ambrisentan Mylan (ambrisentan) was approved by EMA’s CHMP for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and Striascan [ioflupane (123I)], a radiopharmaceutical was approved for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and other related diseases and dementia in April 2019 [1].

On 29 May 2019, EMA’s CHMP adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for two new generics for the treatment and prevention of fungal infections, Posaconazole Accord and Posaconazole AHCL [2].

Related articles
Biosimilars applications under review by EMA – July 2019

Generics applications under review by EMA – January 2019

References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. EMA approves hypertension and Parkinson’s generics [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2019 Aug 2]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Generics/News/EMA-approves-hypertension-and-Parkinson-s-generics 
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. EMA approves two generics for fungal infections [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2019 Aug 2]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Generics/News/EMA-approves-two-generics-for-fungal-infections 

Permission granted to reproduce for personal and non-commercial use only. All other reproduction, copy or reprinting of all or part of any ‘Content’ found on this website is strictly prohibited without the prior consent of the publisher. Contact the publisher to obtain permission before redistributing.

Copyright – Unless otherwise stated all contents of this website are © 2019 Pro Pharma Communications International. All Rights Reserved.

Source: EMA

comment icon Comments (0)
Post your comment
Related content
Generic drug growth in Brazil and Venezuela
53 MD002445
Generics/General Posted 15/09/2023
Pharmaceutical manufacturing companies in Brazil
91 AA007225
Generics/General Posted 26/08/2022
Most viewed articles
About GaBI
Home/About GaBI Posted 06/08/2009
EU guidelines for biosimilars
EMA logo 1 V13C15
Home/Guidelines Posted 08/10/2010