Welcome to the Big Molecule Watch!

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Goodwin’s award-winning Big Molecule Watch is the best resource for daily updates and analyses of regulatory issues, litigation, legislation, and other news in the world of biologics, biosimilars and related technologies. The editors of this blog have collectively been watching and engaging with the world of biologics and biosimilars (“big molecules”) since before the inception of the biosimilar industry in the U.S.  With extensive experience representing clients at all stages of a biologic’s or biosimilar’s lifecycle, from research and development, to patents, to regulatory application and approval, and through litigation and appeals, we are excited to share our observations and insights as the industry and the law continues to develop in this exciting area.

This blog focuses on “big molecules” as opposed to “small molecules.” Small molecule drugs have low molecular weight, a simple and well-defined structure, and are chemically synthesized. In contrast, “big molecule” drugs have high molecular weight, complex structures, and are derived from living organisms. For example, aspirin is small molecule while a monoclonal antibody is a big molecule. For further reading on big molecules, consider FDA's resources on biologics.

Rituximab biosimilar approved in Latin America

On June 6, 2017, Biocad, a Russia biotechnology company, announced that it has obtained marketing authorization for its rituximab biosimilar in Bolivia and Honduras under the trade name USMAL, and that shipments will start in the beginning of Q3 2017.  Biocad further stated that it is registering its rituximab biosimilar…

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Joint Venture to Open Biosimilar Lab in Brazil

PlantForm Corporation, a Canadian biotech firm, has announced that it will begin construction this summer on a new biopharmaceutical lab in Rio de Janeiro with its partner, Brazil-based Axis Biotec Brasil.  According to PlantForm’s press release, the joint venture, known as PlantPraxis, “will first develop a biosimilar version of adalimumab (Humira®)…

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Status Regarding Dupixent® Litigations

We previously reported that Sanofi and Regeneron filed a declaratory judgment action seeking a ruling that its approved Dupixent® (dupilumab) product does not infringe Amgen’s U.S. Pat. 8,679,487 (“the ’487 patent”), and that Immunex, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen, later filed a complaint against Sanofi and Regeneron alleging that…

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Litigation Update: Amgen v. Hospira

As we reported yesterday in the Amgen v. Hospira litigation, Amgen filed a motion for leave to file an amended brief in support of its Motion for a Preliminary Injunction, in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Sandoz v. Amgen.  That same day, the Court entered an order granting…

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Status Update on Janssen v. Celltrion

As we previously reported in the dispute brought by Janssen against Hospira and Celltrion regarding infliximab, Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the 2015 and 2016 consolidated actions for lack of standing. In those actions, Janssen asserted infringement of the ‘083 patent (as well as other patents which were later…

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European commission approves Sandoz’s Rixathon® (rituximab)

Sandoz announced today that it has received approval for the use of Rixathon® in Europe. Rixathon® is a biosimilar version of Roche’s MabThera® (rituximab) and is approved for use in all the same indications, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma), chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and immunological diseases…

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