In the last few weeks, the PTAB has granted institution of eight IPRs filed by Merck on Johns Hopkins patents directed to methods of treatment using pembrolizumab. The eight patents are generally directed to methods for treating cancer in a patient having a tumor that exhibits a high microsatellite instability…
On September 27, 2024, Formycon AG (“Formycon”) and its commercialization partner Fresenius Kabi (“Fresenius”) jointly announced that the European Commission (EC) has issued a marketing authorization for FYB202/OTULFI™ (ustekinumab-aauz), a biosimilar to STELARA®. FYB202/OTULFI™ is an interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 antibody and was approved for moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease,…
On September 19, 2024, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion for Sandoz’s aflibercept biosimilar AFQLIR. On September 20, 2024, Samsung and Biogen announced that the CHMP also adopted a positive opinion for their aflibercept biosimilar OPUVIZ. AFQLIR and OPUVIZ…
On September 17, Express Scripts, Inc. (“Express Scripts”), one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the United States, brought suit against the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) over its July 2024 interim report on the PBM industry. Express Scripts claims that the FTC’s report, titled “Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful…
Approval of Accord’s Trastuzumab Biosimilar: On September 18, 2024, Accord announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 420 mg dosage of HERCESSI (trastuzumab-strf), a biosimilar to Genentech’s HERCEPTIN (trastuzumab), to treat HER2-overexpressing breast and gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. As we previously reported, HERCESSI was approved earlier…
In a sealed order that issued on September 24, 2024, the District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia denied a preliminary injunction against Amgen in the aflibercept BPCIA litigation. Based on alleged infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,084,865 (“’865 patent”), Regeneron had requested a preliminary injunction that would…
On September 3, 2024, Eli Lilly filed a complaint against the FDA in the District Court for the Southern District of Indiana pursuing the latest challenge to the FDA’s application of its “biological product” classification. See Eli Lilly & Co. v. Becerra et al., No. 1:24-cv-01503 (S.D. Ind.). Lilly argues…
On September 13, 2024, Celltrion announced that its Brazilian subsidiary won the Federal Government of Brazil’s bid to supply HERZUMA (trastuzumab-pkrb) for the fifth consecutive year, with around 660,000 vials to be delivered through 2025. According to the announcement, HERZUMA is the most prescribed trastuzumab drug launched in Brazil and…
On September 13, 2024, Alteogen announced that it has applied for marketing authorization in Korea for ALT-L9, an aflibercept biosimilar of EYLEA®. According to Alteogen, a 12-country Phase 3 study showed that ALT-L9 met its primary endpoint and demonstrated therapeutic equivalence to EYLEA®. On July 1, 2024, Alteogen’s subsidiary, Altos…
On September 13, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it added the first vaccine against monkeypox (mpox) to its prequalification list. The vaccine, MVA-BN, is manufactured by Bavarian Nordic A/S. Prequalification is a mechanism “used to evaluate quality, safety and efficacy of medical products, such as vaccines ….