Generics applications under review by EMA – January 2020

Generics/General | Posted 07/02/2020 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].

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According to the EMA’s list of applications for new human medicines under evaluation by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) released on 7 January 2020, the agency is currently reviewing 28 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 of arthritis drug Azasan/Imuran/Imurel (azathioprine), one for a generic version of AstraZeneca’s chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treatment Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol), one for Amgen’s hyperparathyroidism treatment Mimpara/Sensipar (cinacalcet), one for a generic version of ioflupane (123I), a radiopharmaceutical for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and other related diseases and dementia, one for a generic version of Celgene’s Revlimid (lenalidomide) 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)
Abiraterone Endocrine therapy 1 Zytiga Janssen-Cilag
Apixaban Antithrombotic medicine (anti-blood clot) 1 Eliquis Bristol-Myers Squibb
Aripiprazole Psycoleptic (schizophrenia) 1 Abilify Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Arsenic trioxide Antineoplastic medicine (anticancer) 2 Trisenox Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Azacitidine Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 2 Vidaza Celgene (Pharmion Corporation)
Azathioprine Immunosuppressant 1 Azasan/Imuran/Imurel
Budesonide/
formoterol
Obstructive airway diseases 1 Symbicort AstraZeneca
Cabazitaxel Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 1 Jevtana sanofi-aventis
Caffeine citrate Psychoanaleptics (breathing problems) 1 Cafcit/Peyona (previously Nymusa) Boehringer Ingelheim/Chiesi Farmaceutici
Cinacalcet Calcium homeostasis 1 Mimpara/Sensipar Amgen
Dasatinib Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 2 Sprycel Bristol-Myers Squibb
Doxorubicin Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 2 Caelyx/Myocet Janssen-Cilag/Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
Erlotinib Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 1 Tarceva Roche
Fampridine Other nervous system medicines (multiple sclerosis) 1 Fampyra Biogen
Fingolimod Immunosuppressant (multiple sclerosis) 2 Gilenya Novartis
Glucagon Pancreatic hormones (diabetes) 1 Baqsimi Eli Lilly
Ioflupane (123I) Diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals 1 DaTSCAN GE Healthcare
Lenalidomide Immunosuppressant  (multiple myeloma) 1 Revlimid Celgene
Melphalan Antineoplastic medicines (anticancer) 1 Alkeran ApoPharma
Methylthioninium chloride Diagnostic medicine 1 Proveblue Provepharm SAS
Rivaroxaban Antithrombotic medicines (blood thinner) 1 Xarelto Bayer
Sunitinib Antithrombotic medicines (renal cell carcinoma) 1 Sutent Pfizer
Tigecycline Antibacterials for systemic use 1 Tygacil Pfizer
Total   28    
*Data collected on 31 January 2020
Source: EMA

First-time pan-European generics under review by EMA include one for a generic version of Janssen-Cilag’s prostate cancer drug Zytiga (abiraterone), one for a generic of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s blood clot preventer Eliquis (apixaban), two for generics of Teva’s leukaemia drug Trisenox (arsenic trioxide), two for generics of Celgene’s treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome Vidaza (azacitidine), one for a generic version of sanofi-aventis' prostate cancer drug Jevtana (cabazitaxel), one for a generic version of Boehringer Ingelheim/Chiesi Farmaceutici’s treatment for apnea (breathing problems) Cafcit/Peyona (caffeine citrate), two for generics of Bristol-Myers Squibb’s leukaemia drug Sprycel (dasatinib), two for generic versions of Janssen-Cilag/Teva’s chemotherapy drug Caelyx/Myocet (doxorubicin), one for a generic version of Roche’s Tarceva (erlotinib), one for a generic version of multiple sclerosis drug one for a generic version of Biogen’s multiple sclerosis drug Fampyra (fampridine), two for a generic version of multiple sclerosis drug Gilenya (fingolimod) from Novartis, one for a generic version of diabetes treatment Baqsimi (glucagon), one for a generic version of chemotherapy drug Alkeran (melphalan), one for a generic of Bayer’s anti-blood clotting medicine Xarelto (rivaroxaban) and one for a generic of Pfizer’s cancer treatment Sutent (sunitinib).

Since the last report entitled Generics applications under review by EMA – July 2019 by GaBI Online, EMA has approved one generic version of Celgene’s myelodysplastic syndrome Vidaza (azacytidine) from Accord, four generics of Janssen-Cilag’s multiple myeloma treatment Velcade (bortezomib), one for Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi’s blood-clot treatment DuoPlavin (clopidogrel/acetylsalicylic acid), two generics of iron chelator Exjade (deferasirox), one generic version of Orion’s psycholeptic Dexdor (dexmedetomidine) and one for a generic version of ProvePharma’s methaemoglobinaemia treatment Proveblue (methylthioninium chloride).

EMA’s CHMP approved Arsenic trioxide Accord for the treatment of leukaemia, Bortezomib Fresenius Kabi for the treatment of multiple myeloma and Orphelia Pharma’s Ivozall, which is a generic version of Genzyme’s Evoltra (clofarabine) on 20 September 2019 [3]. Evoltra is used to treat children and adults up to 21 years of age who have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), which is a cancer of the lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell).

In November 2019, EMA’s CHMP also adopted a positive opinion, recommending the granting of a marketing authorization for a new generic for the treatment of clopidogrel/acetylsalicylic acid produced by generics giant Mylan [4].

Related articles
Biosimilars applications under review by EMA – January 2020

Generics applications under review by EMA – July 2019

References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. EU guidelines for generics [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2020 Feb 7]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Guidelines/EU-guidelines-for-generics
2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Registration procedures for generic drugs in the EU [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2020 Feb 7] Available from: www.gabionline.net/Reports/Registration-procedures-for-generic-drugs-in-the-EU
3. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. EMA approves leukaemia and multiple myeloma generics [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2020 Feb 7]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Generics/News/EMA-approves-leukaemia-and-multiple-myeloma-generics
4. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. EMA recommends approval for two new generics [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2020 Feb 7]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Generics/News/EMA-recommends-approval-for-two-new-generics

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Source: EMA

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