July 28, 2021 – the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Viatris Inc.’s (formerly Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.) SEMGLEE (insulin glargine-yfgn), a biosimilar to LANTUS (insulin glargine). According to the press release, SEMGLEE is indicated to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus and…
As regular Big Molecule Watch readers know, the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (“BPCIA”) was signed into law as part of the Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010, creating an abbreviated licensure pathway for “biosimilar” and “interchangeable” biological products. The BPCIA also introduced a new scheme to resolve…
Ascletis Pharma Inc. (Ascletis) and Suzhou Alphamab Co., Ltd. (Suzhou Alphamab) jointly announced that Ascletis’ subsidiary and Suzhou Alphamab have entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement (excluding Greater China) for ASC22 (Envafolimab) to treat viral diseases, including Hepatitis B. According to the press release, ASC22, also known as KN035,…
On November 8, 2021, Bio-Thera Solutions, Ltd. announced that China’s National Medical Products Administration has accepted the marketing authorization application for BAT1806, a biosimilar of Roche’s Actemra® (tocilizumab), which is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). Actemra® has been approved in the United States for the…
In their respective third quarter financial results, Amgen and Pfizer both announced plans to seek interchangeable status for select biosimilars. Amgen announced that patients are currently being enrolled in Phase 3 studies to support interchangeability designation in the U.S. for biosimilars of AMJEVITA (adalimumab) and ABP 654 (ustekinumab). Pfizer also…
Last week, Coherus and Junshi Biosciences announced that the FDA accepted their BLA for toripalimab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (“NPC”) and toripalimab monotherapy for the second-line or above treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC after…
On October 22, 2021 Roche announced the FDA’s approval of its ranibizumab intravitreal injection, marketed as Susvimo. Susvimo is a refillable ocular implant—requiring refills every six months—that continuously delivers medicine into the eye for the treatment of neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration, a condition that can cause rapid and…
In October, Express Scripts announced that it would add Viatris’ SEMGLEE (insulin glargine-yfgn) injection as a preferred therapy on its formulary beginning in January 2022. Back in July, the FDA approved SEMGLEE as the first biosimilar insulin to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes and…
The Korea Herald has reported that Celltrion Inc., a South Korean biopharmaceutical firm, is seeking approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the sale of CT-P16, Celltrion’s anticancer biosimilar candidate. CT-P16 references Avastin (Bevacizumab), which is indicated for the treatment of various types of cancers, including colorectal, lung, and kidney…
On October 22, 2021, the FDA approved Genentech’s SUSVIMO (ranibizumab injection) for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on positive results from an open-label Phase III study. According to the Genentech press release, SUSVIMO, previously called Port Delivery System with ranibizumab, offers an alternative route of administration for anti-VEGF in…