Celltrion Submits BLA for Tocilizumab Biosimilar On January 28, 2024, Celltrion USA announced that it has completed submission of its application to the FDA for CT-P47, its proposed tocilizumab biosimilar. CT-P47 references Genentech’s ACTEMRA, an interleukin 6 receptor antagonist indicated for adult rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic polyarthritis, and systemic juvenile…
As we kick off 2024, we reflect on regulatory developments in the biologics and biosimilars space in 2023. Below are some of the top regulatory developments from 2023. FDA Approvals In 2023, there were 23 FDA approvals of Biologic License Applications, including for Vertex’s CASGEVY and Bluebird’s LYFGENIA, the first…
On December 15, 2023, Vertex announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion for the conditional approval of CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel]), a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited therapy, for the treatment of severe sickle cell disease (SCD) and transfusion-dependent beta…
On December 8, 2023, the FDA approved the first cell-based gene therapies for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) in patients 12 years and older—Vertex’s CASGEVY and Bluebird’s LYFGENIA. SCD is a group of inherited blood disorders affecting approximately 100,000 people in the U.S. and inducing a median life…
On December 7, 2023, Bio-Thera Solutions, Ltd. announced that the FDA has approved AVZIVI (bevacizumab-tnjn), a biosimilar referencing Genentech’s AVASTIN. AVZIZI is the fifth bevacizumab biosimilar approved by the FDA, behind Amgen’s MVASI (bevacizumab-awwb), approved in September 2017; Pfizer’s ZIRABEV (bevacizumab-bvzr), approved in June 2019; Amneal’s ALYMSYS (bevacizumab-maly), approved in…
Celltrion Submits Denosumab BLA to FDA: On November 30, 2023, it was reported that Celltrion had completed submission of its application to the FDA for CT-P41, its denosumab biosimilar of Amgen’s PROLIA and XGEVA. According to the report, once CT-P41 is approved in the U.S., “it is expected to secure…
Bayer’s aflibercept 8 mg recommended for approval in Europe: On November 10, 2023, Bayer announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending aflibercept 8 mg for approval for extended treatment intervals in two major retinal…
Earlier today, UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted conditional marketing authorization to Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics for their CRISPR/Cas9 gene therapy, CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel), marking the world’s first regulatory approval for a CRISPR-based gene-edited therapy. CASGEVY is the first medicine to be licensed that uses the…
Recently, Biogen and Samsung Bioepis’s ranibizumab biosimilar (BYOOVIZ) was granted interchangeable status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. BYOOVIZ was deemed interchangeable to Genentech’s LUCENTIS for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration, macular edema following retinal vein occlusion, and myopic choroidal neovascularization. BYOOVIZ, the first FDA approved…
As previously reported, in February 2023, Formycon and Fresenius Kabi entered into a global license agreement to commercialize FYB202, a ustekinumab biosimilar of Janssen’s STELARA, in key global markets after successful regulatory approvals. The European Medicines Agency accepted Formycon’s Marketing Authorization Application for FYB202 on September 29, 2023. It was recently…