Biosimilars/News

Biocon receives Japanese approval for insulin glargine biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 01/04/2016

India-based biologicals specialist Biocon announced on 28 March 2016 that it had received approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for its insulin glargine biosimilar.

Epirus starts phase III trial for infliximab biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 11/03/2016

US-based biologicals company Epirus Biopharmaceuticals (Epirus) announced on 9 February 2016 that it had started a phase III trial for its infliximab biosimilar (BOW015).

Trastuzumab non-originator biological approved in Russia

Biosimilars/News | Posted 26/02/2016

Russian biotechnology company Biocad announced on 20 January 2016 that the Russian Ministry of Health had approved the company’s trastuzumab non-originator biological, BCD-022. The drug is a non-originator biological of Roche’s breast cancer blockbuster Herceptin (trastuzumab).

FDA advisers recommend approval of Celltrion’s infliximab biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 19/02/2016

US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) advisers have voted to recommend the approval of Celltrion’s biosimilar version of Johnson & Johnson and Merck’s arthritis treatment Remicade (infliximab).

EMA accepts application for pegfilgrastim biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 19/02/2016

Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, announced on 11 February 2016 that its regulatory submission for its proposed pegfilgrastim biosimilar (LA-EP2006) had been accepted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Kyowa to market Sandoz’s rituximab biosimilar in Japan

Biosimilars/News | Posted 12/02/2016

Biotech firm Kyowa Hakko Kirin (Kyowa) announced on 25 January 2016 that it had made a deal with Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, for exclusive marketing rights to Sandoz’s biosimilar rituximab in Japan.

Australian approval for infertility biosimilar Bemfola

Biosimilars/News | Posted 05/02/2016

Switzerland-based Finox Biotech (Finox) announced on 30 November 2015 that it had gained approval from Australia’s drug regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), for follitropin alfa biosimilar Bemfola.

Filgrastim follow-on biological approved in Brazil

Biosimilars/News | Posted 29/01/2016

Brazil’s medicines agency, the Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária, ANVISA), announced on 20 October 2015 that it had approved the follow-on biological medicine Fiprima (filgrastim).

Bevacizumab non-originator biological approved in Russia

Biosimilars/News | Posted 22/01/2016

Russian biotechnology company Biocad announced on 30 November 2015 that the Russian Ministry of Health had approved the company’s bevacizumab non-originator biological drug, BCD-021. The drug is a non-originator biological of Roche’s cancer blockbuster Avastin (bevacizumab).

EMA accepts application for etanercept biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 15/01/2016

Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, announced on 8 December 2015 that the regulatory submission for its proposed etanercept biosimilar (GP2015) had been accepted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

FDA approves first follow-on insulin glargine treatment

Biosimilars/News | Posted 08/01/2016

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on 16 December 2015 that it had approved Eli Lilly/Boehringer Ingelheim’s biosimilar version of Sanofi’s Lantus (insulin glargine) diabetes treatment.

FDA accepts application for pegfilgrastim biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 04/12/2015

Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, announced on 18 November 2015 that its regulatory submission for its proposed pegfilgrastim biosimilar had been accepted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Infliximab price wars

Biosimilars/News | Posted 04/12/2015

Merck has reportedly slashed the price of its blockbuster Remicade (Infliximab) in the UK in order to fight off growing competition from infliximab biosimilars.

Celltrion submits rituximab biosimilar application to EMA

Biosimilars/News | Posted 20/11/2015

South Korean biotechnology company Celltrion has, according to Business Korea, submitted a second biosimilar application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Formycon starts phase III trial for ranibizumab biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 13/11/2015

German biosimilars companies Formycon and Bioeq announced on 7 October 2015 that they had initiated a pivotal phase III clinical trial with their candidate ranibizumab biosimilar (FYB201).

Boehringer Ingelheim stops biosimilar rituximab development

Biosimilars/News | Posted 30/10/2015

Germany-based Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (Boehringer Ingelheim) has reportedly halted clinical development for its biosimilar version (BI 695500) of Roche’s blockbuster leukaemia treatment Rituxan/MabThera (rituximab).

Insulin glargine biosimilar in US delayed until end 2016

Biosimilars/News | Posted 23/10/2015

Pharmaceutical majors Eli Lilly and Sanofi announced on 28 September 2015 that the two companies had agreed to end the legal dispute over biosimilar insulin glargine in the US and to discontinue similar disputes worldwide.

Baxalta and Momenta start phase III trial for adalimumab biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 16/10/2015

Baxalta – a spinoff company from Baxter International – and US-based biotechnology firm Momenta Pharmaceuticals (Momenta) announced on 5 October 2015 that they had started a phase III clinical trial for their adalimumab biosimilar (M923) in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis.

FDA accepts application for etanercept biosimilar

Biosimilars/News | Posted 09/10/2015

Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, announced on 2 October 2015 that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had accepted its application for its etanercept biosimilar (GP2015).