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.

Bevacizumab Updates

On June 16, 2020, Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. announced that HLX04-mCRC03, a phase 3 clinical trial of bevacizumab biosimilar HLX04, had successfully met its primary endpoint.  The study compared the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of HLX04 and Avastin in combination with oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients…

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Supreme Court Denies Cert on 5th Amendment Constitutionality of Subjecting Pre-AIA Patents to IPR

Today, the Supreme Court denied three petitions for certiorari challenging the constitutionality of subjecting patents issued prior to the America Invents Act (“AIA”) to inter partes review (“IPR”).  See Celgene v. Peter; Collabo v. Sony Corp.; Enzo v. Becton, Dickinson and Company.  In all three underlying cases, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had…

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FDA Approves First New Biosimilar of 2020

On June 10, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Pfizer’s NYVEPRIA (pegfilgrastim-apgf), a biosimilar of Amgen’s NEULASTA. NYVEPRIA is indicated to “decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a clinically significant incidence of…

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Alexion and Amgen Settle IPRs Over SOLIRIS (eculizumab)

Alexion Pharmaceuticals’ SOLIRIS (eculizumab) is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PHN), atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), myasthenia gravis (gMG), and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD).  Amgen’s ABP 959 is a biosimilar to SOLIRIS undergoing clinical trials with a phase 3 clinical trial initiated earlier…

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Biosimilars Approvals: Nepexto Receives European Marketing Authorization, Ziextenzo and Riximyo Receive Health Canada Approval

Last week, Lupin and Mylan announced that the European Commission had granted marketing authorization for their biosimilar Nepexto (etanercept) for all indications of the reference product.  The marketing authorization follows a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use earlier this year based on preclinical and clinical…

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Henlius and Accord Announce EMA Recommendation for Marketing of Their Trastuzumab Biosimilar

We previously reported on Shanghai Henlius’s (“Henlius”) biosimilar developments, including their announcement of an exclusive license agreement with Mabxience Research, S.L. to develop and commercialize their trastuzumab biosimilar, HLX02. This week, Henlius jointly announced with Accord Healthcare Limited that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the…

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PTAB Issues Final Written Decisions Finding Most Claims of Sanofi’s Lantus Patents Invalid

As we previously reported, Mylan filed a number of IPR petitions challenging a total of seven of Sanofi-Aventis’s patents related to Lantus® (insulin glargine injection).  On May 29, 2020, the PTAB issued Final Written Decisions in eight of Mylan’s pending petitions concerning four patents finding most of the challenged claims…

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