Biosimilars

Australia’s PBAC recommends unrestricted benefit listing for rituximab biosimilars

Biosimilars/News | Posted 19/11/2021

Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) has recommended that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listing for the rituximab biosimilars Riximyo and Truxima be changed to ‘Unrestricted Benefit listings’.

Biosimilars: Promises made. Promises kept?

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 19/11/2021

Biosimilars are biological products that are highly similar to their reference biologicals. Biosimilars are designed to have comparability with respect to quality, safety and efficacy compared to an already licensed reference biological. Most regulatory agencies, including the European Medicines Agency (EMA), do not require a full clinical dossier for a biosimilar. It is usually possible to carry out one clinical trial in one indication, with the option to extrapolate to other indications of the reference biological [1].

Canada approves filgrastim and insulin aspart biosimilars Nypozi and Kirsty

Biosimilars/News | Posted 12/11/2021

Canada’s drug regulator, Health Canada, has approved the filgrastim and insulin aspart biosimilars Nypozi and Kirsty.

Progress in the regulation of biosimilars in the EU

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 12/11/2021

Analysis of regulation of biosimilars in the EU concludes that regulation is progressing as more knowledge is gained, which is reflected in the changing nature of regulatory guidelines. The authors conclude that the EU framework generates safe and effective biosimilars [1].

Advances for biotech in Korea: Samsung Bioepis, Celltrion and LG Chem

Biosimilars/General | Posted 12/11/2021

Korean companies Samsung Bioepis and Celltrion have accelerated their penetration into the global market, with a total of 11 approvals in Europe and eight in the US. In addition, Korea’s LG Chem has expanded its presence in Japan and China. This growth follows increasing investment in the biotech sector from South Korea’s government and private pharmaceutical companies [1, 2].

Biosimilars, clinical management and incentives

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 12/11/2021

The aim of a study carried out by Spanish researchers was to identify and analyse policies applied in the health services to enhance uptake of biosimilars in the framework of clinical management settings [1]. Incentives, both financial and non-financial, were of particular interest for the authors. They reviewed the relevant experiences developed in different high-income countries with advanced healthcare systems. In addition, they investigated barriers to the implementation of these policies in Spain.

YLB113 etanercept biosimilar autoinjector 'safe and effective’

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 05/11/2021

Analysis of the YLB113 etanercept autoinjector, a biosimilar to reference etanercept, finds a high rate of injection success and supports the safe and effective use of YLB113 [1].

China approves Factor VIII copy biological Anjian

Biosimilars/News | Posted 05/11/2021

China-based drugmaker SinoCellTech (formerly known as Shenzhou Cell) announced on 23 July 2021 that China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), formerly the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), had approved its recombinant human coagulation factor VIII (susoctocog alfa) copy biological Anjian.

Interchangeable insulin glargine biosimilar preferred on Express Scripts

Biosimilars/General | Posted 05/11/2021

The interchangeable insulin glargine biosimilar, Semglee, has been listed by Express Scripts, America’s largest pharmacy benefit management organization, as a preferred insulin brand on its National Preferred Formulary (NPF), which includes more than 28 million lives in the US.

Progress for bevacizumab copy biologicals from Henlius and Innovent

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 05/11/2021

Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc (Henlius) reports progress in clinical trials of a bevacizumab copy biological for age-related macular degeneration and colorectal cancer, while Innovent Biologics reports positive findings from a trial of their bevacizumab copy biological in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Data support the interchangeability of EU biosimilars

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 29/10/2021

The first study to comprehensively analyse post-marketing surveillance data for biosimilar monoclonal antibodies demonstrates comparable efficacy, safety and immunogenicity with the originator products [1].

FDA approves adalimumab biosimilar Cyltezo as interchangeable

Biosimilars/News | Posted 29/10/2021

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first interchangeable adalimumab biosimilar. This is the second interchangeable biosimilar to gain FDA approval in the US and follows the landmark decision to approve an interchangeable insulin glargine biosimilar in July 2021 [1].

Patent litigation insights on barriers to US biosimilar market growth

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 29/10/2021

High prices of biological drugs have placed substantial strain on the US healthcare system. To help address this problem, Congress passed the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (BPCI Act) as part of the Affordable Care Act, which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biosimilars – versions of ‘originator’ biological drugs made by different manufacturers. To resolve disputes over whether a biosimilar manufacturer would infringe patents on the originator biological by entering the market, the BPCI Act included a multi-step litigation process, which starts when the biosimilar manufacturer submits its abbreviated biological license application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, a decade after its passage, the BPCI Act has spurred only limited competition [1].

Bio-Thera and Samsung Bioepis start clinical trials for ustekinumab biosimilars

Biosimilars/News | Posted 29/10/2021

China’s Bio-Thera Solutions and South Korea’s Samsung Bioepis have begun phase III clinical trials for biosimilars to Janssen’s blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug Stelara (ustekinumab).

Argentinian gastroenterologist groups issued position statement on biosimilars use

Biosimilars/General | Posted 22/10/2021

Experts from the steering committees of the Argentinian Society of Gastroenterology (SAGE), the Argentinian Federation of Gastroenterology (FAGE) and the Argentinian Group of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (GADECCU) have issued a joint position regarding the practical conditions for the clinical use of biosimilars indicated for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), by discussing the most notable aspects related to the definition of a biosimilar drug, bio-similarity, non-comparable biological drugs or ‘intended copies’, approval requirements, extrapolation of indications, interchangeability, automatic substitution, non-medical switching, nomenclature, clinical standards regarding safety and efficacy, implementation of an efficient and appropriate pharmacovigilance system and the potential economic impact on the healthcare system [1].

Canada approves adalimumab and bevacizumab biosimilars

Biosimilars/News | Posted 22/10/2021

Canada’s drug regulator, Health Canada, has approved the bevacizumab biosimilar Bambevi and the adalimumab biosimilar Abrilada (PF-06410293).

Research, development and public production of pharmaceuticals in Argentina

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 22/10/2021

Under the current research and development model, the pharmaceutical industry has switched its focus towards the therapeutic areas that offer the greatest commercial benefit, which are often not aligned with public health needs. Consequently, it has ceased to be the great innovative industry that it had been during the last century.

Delayed biosimilars market entry costs US billions

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 22/10/2021

Delayed adalimumab biosimilar entry to the US market is estimated to have cost Medicare over US$2.19 billion between 2016 and 2019, a study published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics has revealed.

Competition from biosimilars drives price reductions for biologicals in France

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 15/10/2021

The US has experienced a policy debate as to whether competition from biosimilars is the best strategy for achieving price reductions for biologicals or, rather, whether direct price regulation after loss of patent exclusivity would be more effective. In order to investigate this issue, authors from the US and France combined quantitative and case study methods to examine in detail the interaction between market and administrative mechanisms to reduce biologicals’ prices in France. In their article they present comprehensive data on market shares and prices for three major biologicals and their 11 competing biosimilars between 2004 and 2020 [1].

Bioeq submits application for ranibizumab biosimilar to FDA

Biosimilars/News | Posted 15/10/2021

A ranibizumab biosimilar developed by Swiss biotechnology company Bioeq AG (Bioeq) has been successfully submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review.