Biosimilars

WuXi Biologics expands its biologicals manufacturing facilities

Biosimilars/General | Posted 15/06/2018

China-based WuXi Biologics, headquartered in Wuxi city of Jiangsu Province, is expanding its biologicals manufacturing capacity with new facilities planned in Ireland, China, Singapore and the US.

Regulating biosimilars throughout their life cycle

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 08/06/2018

A resolution to increase access to life-saving biologicals was passed in May 2014 at the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) [1]. However, there still exist barriers to market access for biosimilars. Authors Drs Hye-Na Kang and Ivana Knezevic, from WHO, discuss the factors that give rise to these barriers and explain the importance of regulatory oversight throughout the product life-cycle of biosimilars [2].

EMA approves adalimumab and trastuzumab biosimilars

Biosimilars/News | Posted 08/06/2018

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) announced on 1 June 2018 that it had recommended granting marketing authorization for the adalimumab biosimilars Halimatoz, Hefiya and Hyrimoz, and also for the trastuzumab biosimilar Trazimera.

FDA approval for pegfilgrastim biosimilar Fulphila

Biosimilars/News | Posted 08/06/2018

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on 4 June 2018 that it had approved its first pegfilgrastim biosimilar.

Celltrion resubmits biosimilar rituximab to FDA

Biosimilars/News | Posted 01/06/2018

South Korean biotechnology company Celltrion announced on 30 May 2018 that it had resubmitted its application for marketing approval for its candidate rituximab biosimilar, CT‑P10, to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Interchangeability between infliximab biosimilars with respect to immunogenicity

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 01/06/2018

In their editorial, Katsanos and colleagues [1] discuss a study carried out by Italian and Spanish researchers on the immunogenicity of infliximab biosimilars that finds that there is full interchangeability between infliximab biosimilars with respect to immunogenicity [2].

Biosimilars in Europe

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 01/06/2018

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has pioneered the regulatory aspects of biosimilars since the first approval of a biosimilar in 2006. With the last authorization of bevacizumab in January 2018, 44 biosimilar products have been reviewed by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of EMA, 41 of them having been granted a marketing authorization [1].

EC approval for infliximab biosimilar Zessly

Biosimilars/News | Posted 25/05/2018

Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, announced on 24 May 2018 that it had received European Commission (EC) approval for its infliximab biosimilar Zessly (PF‑06438179).

Hetero launches adalimumab similar biologic in India

Biosimilars/News | Posted 25/05/2018

India-based generics maker Hetero Group (Hetero) announced in January 2018 the launch of its product Mabura, a ‘similar biologic’ of adalimumab, in India.

Utilization data and cost-effectiveness of infliximab biosimilar

Biosimilars/Research | Posted 25/05/2018

Studies of Celltrion/Hospira’s infliximab biosimilar (CT‑P13, Remsima/Inflectra) carried out in Canada and Germany have shown that, although there are large savings to be made, there are ‘significant differences in real-world utilization patterns’ of patients prescribed originator infliximab compared to those prescribed biosimilar infliximab (CT‑P13) [1, 2].