Biosimilars
Trastuzumab biosimilar Ogivri approved in Canada
India-based biologicals specialist Biocon and US-based partner Mylan announced on 22 May 2019 that Health Canada had approved Mylan’s trastuzumab biosimilar Ogivri.
Irish hospitals to get incentives to switch patients to biosimilars
Hospitals in Ireland are being offered a Euros 500 incentive for every patient they switch off two expensive biologicals to cheaper biosimilars.
Brazilian approval for trastuzumab follow-on biological Ontruzant
Korea-based Samsung Bioepis (Samsung and Biogen’s joint venture) announced on 27 May 2019 that the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, ANVISA) had approved its trastuzumab follow-on biological, Ontruzant.
Dramatic price reduction of trastuzumab in Malaysia
The price of the cancer drug trastuzumab has dropped by more than half in Malaysia following a recent tender to the Ministry of Health.
NeuClone to start phase I trial for ustekinumab biosimilar
Australian biologicals company NeuClone announced on 15 May 2019 that it would start a phase I clinical trial of its ustekinumab biosimilar, NeuLara, in the second half of 2019.
Settlement for Udenyca and win for Zarxio
Amgen has made a settlement with respect to pegfilgrastim biosimilar Udenyca, but has lost its appeal against filgrastim biosimilar Zarxio.
Positive results for rituximab copy biological IBI301
US-based pharma giant Eli Lilly, and its partner China-based Innovent Biologics (Innovent), announced on 7 May 2019 positive data from two clinical studies of their rituximab copy biological (IBI301) compared to Rituxan (rituximab).
Biocon/Mylan gain global rights to adalimumab biosimilar Hulio
India-based biologicals specialist Biocon and US-based partner Mylan announced on 7 May 2019 that they have gained the global rights to the adalimumab biosimilar Hulio.
GaBI Journal is the number one journal publishing on biosimilars
The first ever global bibliometric analysis on biosimilars finds that GaBI Journal is the number one journal publishing on biosimilars. The study also shows that research on biosimilars is increasing, but is currently dominated by countries in the West such as the USA [1].
Recommendations published by Canadian breast cancer advocacy group
In April 2019, an advocacy group for patients with breast cancer in Canada – the Canadian Breast Cancer Network (CBCN) - published recommendations related to use of biosimilars in a white paper, entitled ‘Breast Cancer & Biosimilars Recommendations on Use, Implementation and Patient Communications’. These recommendations were informed by insights collected from virtual roundtable discussions with patients and medical oncologists.
