The FDA has announced that it will hold a hearing to discuss affordability of and access to insulin products, including issues concerning the development of biosimilar and interchangeable insulin products. The hearing will cover scientific standards for evaluating biosimilarity and interchangeability of insulin products; other regulatory considerations, such as whether…
On March 4, 2019 FDA announced the availability of a draft guidance titled Nonproprietary Naming of Biological Products: Update (“Naming Guidance”). According to FDA’s announcement the Naming Guidance reflects FDA’s current thinking on biological products licensed under Section 351 of the Public Health Service Act (“PHS Act”). This draft guidance serves…
Yesterday, the U.S. FDA approved Pfizer’s Trazimera™ (trastuzumab-qyyp), a biosimilar of Genentech’s Herceptin®, for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer and HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. These indications are the same as those for which the reference product is approved. Trazimera™ is the fourth trastuzumab biosimilar, and the…
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who has served as FDA Commissioner since May 2017, has announced that he will be resigning from the agency. Dr. Gottlieb has previously voiced support for wider access to biosimilars.
On February 28, 2019, the FDA approved Genentech’s Herceptin Hylecta (trastuzumab and hyaluronidase-oysk). According to a press release from Roche, Genentech’s parent company: “This new treatment includes the same monoclonal antibody as intravenous Herceptin® (trastuzumab) in combination with recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20, an enzyme that helps to deliver trastuzumab under…
Last week, Health Canada announced that biologic drugs, including biosimilars, will be identified “by their unique brand name and non-proprietary (common) name, without the addition of a product-specific suffix. Both the brand name and non-proprietary name should be used throughout the medication use process so that biologics that share the…
There will soon be a new director of Therapeutic Biologics & Biosimilars Staff (TBBS) in the Office of New Drugs (OND) at the FDA. Dr. Sarah Yim will become the new acting director of TBBS beginning in March. Dr. Yim joined the FDA in 2005 and is currently the director…
Today, the FDA approved Samsung Bioepis’s Ontruzant (trastuzumab-dttb), a biosimilar to Genentech’s Herceptin (trastuzumab), for the treatment of patients with HER2-overexpressing breast cancer and HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Samsung Bioepis’s product is the subject of ongoing BPCIA litigation, pending before the District of Delaware. This is the third biosimilar…
As the government shutdown continues, administrative agencies have been updating the public on their operating status. The FDA has released a statement on its website explaining that its operations will “continue to the extent permitted by law, such as activities necessary to address imminent threats to the safety of human…
In a tweet today, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb stated: “FDA continues to be concerned about branded companies creating confusion about the safety and effectiveness of biosimilars and we’ll take action if we determine a company is deliberately misleading the public about the safety of these important products.” The communication comes in response…