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.

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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Revance Therapeutics, Mylan, and Formycon Announce Updates to Their Biosimilar Plans

Revance Therapeutics, Mylan, and Formycon have announced updates to their biosimilar plans.  In the Q1 2020 Earnings Conference Call on May 7, 2020, Revance updated investors on the biosimilar to BOTOX® program in potential partnership with Mylan.  Revance informed investors that Mylan had requested additional information from Revance, and would…

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Samsung Bioepis Announces Four-Year Follow-Up Data for its Trastuzumab Biosimilar and 24-Week Interim Results from Phase 3 Trial of its Proposed Ranibizumab Biosimilar

Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. announced on Friday that the four-year follow-up data from a Phase 3 study for ONTRUZANT, a biosimilar of HERCEPTIN (trastuzumab), will be presented later this month at the ASCO20 Virtual Scientific Program.  The data are from an ongoing five-year follow-up study assessing the cardiac safety and…

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Study Says that Conversion of Intermediate-Risk FN Patients to Pegfilgrastim Biosimilar Likely to Have Large Budget Impact

A new study funded by Sandoz related to the budget impact of expanding patient access to biosimilar pegfilgrastim (Ziextenzo) was presented during the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s AMCP eLearning Days virtual meeting in April. The study found that expanding access to Ziextenzo to patients with intermediate risk of developing febrile…

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