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.

HUMIRA (adalimumab) Biosimilar Launches

In the last week, seven adalimumab biosimilars referencing HUMIRA entered the U.S. market:  Boehringer Ingelheim’s CYLTEZO (adalimumab-adbm); Sandoz’s HYRIMOZ (adalimumab-adaz); Organon and Samsung Bioepis’s HADLIMA (adalimumab-bwwd); Coherus Biosciences’s YUSIMRY (adalimumab-aqvh); Celltrion’s YUFLYMA (adalimumab-aaty); Fresenius Kabi’s IDACIO (adalimumab-aacf); and Biocon’s HULIO (adalimumab-fkjb).  With Amgen’s AMJEVITA (adalimumab-atto), launched in January 2023, there…

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Regeneron Received FDA Complete Response Letter For Its Higher Dose Aflibercept Injection BLA

Last week, Regeneron published a press release stating that the FDA had issued a Complete Response Letter (“CRL”) for its aflibercept 8 mg BLA for the treatment of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy, “due to an ongoing review of inspection findings at a…

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CYLTEZO® to Launch on July 1 as the First Interchangeable HUMIRA® Biosimilar

Beginning tomorrow, July 1, 2023, CYLTEZO® (adalimumab-adbm) will become the first HUMIRA® (adalimumab) biosimilar with interchangeable status to be commercially available in the United States.  Boehringer Ingelheim has also announced that with CYLTEZO’s commercial launch, pharmacy-benefit manager Optum Rx (a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group), which currently covers more than 66…

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Formycon and Celltrion Announce FDA Submission of aBLAs Seeking Approval to Market Aflibercept Biosimilars

On June 29 and 30, 2023, respectively, Formycon AG (“Formycon”) and Celltrion Inc. (“Celltrion”) announced submission to the FDA of aBLAs for their aflibercept biosimilar candidates.  Formycon and Celltrion are the second and third biosimilar developers to announce submissions of aflibercept aBLAs, following Viatris Inc.’s submission in October 2021.  As…

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REGENXBIO Sues Sarepta Therapeutics for Patent Infringement on Gene Therapy Product

Last week REGENXBIO Inc. and the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania filed suit in Delaware against Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., Sarepta Therapeutics Three, LLC, and Catalent, Inc., alleging that the defendants’ adeno-associated virus (“AAV”) technology gene therapy product has infringed or will infringe U.S. Patent No. 11,680,274 (“the ‘274 Patent”)….

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FDA Accepts Xbrane’s sBLA for LUCENTIS® (Ranibizumab) Biosimilar Candidate

On June 21, 2023, Xbrane announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for filing Xbrane’s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for a LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab) biosimilar candidate. Xbrane stated that “[t]he biosimilar candidate is a VEGF-a inhibitor, intended for the treatment of serious eye diseases such as…

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Coherus and AbbVie File Dueling Motions for Injunctive Relief Relating to Coherus’s HUMIRA Biosimilar

Our readers may recall that ten HUMIRA biosimilars have been licensed to launch, with Amgen’s AMJEVITA the only one to launch to date and nine others set to launch starting in July 2023.  On June 1, 2023, Coherus issued a press release announcing “that the company plans to launch YUSIMRY™…

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Samsung Bioepis Files Four IPR Petitions on Alexion Eculizumab Patents and One IPR Petition on a Janssen Ustekinumab Patent

Samsung recently filed the following IPR petitions challenging all claims of four patents assigned to Alexion relating to SOLIRIS (eculizumab): IPR2023-00998, challenging claims 1-3 of U.S. Patent No. 9,718,880; IPR2023-00999, challenging claims 1-10 of U.S. Patent No. 9,725,504; IPR2023-01069, challenging claims 1-8 of U.S. Patent No. 10,590,189; and IPR2023-01070, challenging…

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Natasha Daughtrey to Speak at ACI’s 14th Annual Summit on Biosimilars & Innovator Biologics

The 14th Annual American Conference Institute’s (ACI) Summit on Biosimilars & Innovator Biologics will be held on June 27-28, bringing together the “who’s who” of the biosimilars and innovator biologics industries as they gather to discuss and contemplate the impact of critical developments in these industries: biologics becoming the fastest-growing…

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Coherus to Acquire Surface Oncology

On June 16, 2023, Coherus BioSciences, Inc. and Surface Oncology, Inc. announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement, where, at the closing, Coherus will acquire Surface Oncology, a clinical-stage immuno-oncology (I-O) company developing next-generation immunotherapies that target the tumor microenvironment.  Coherus’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer said…

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