Regulatory

Biocad, a Russia-based drug manufacturer, received approval for an infliximab biosimilar (referencing Remicade) from Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service last month. The company anticipates expanding to other markets as soon as later this year, or early 2019.

A white paper released this month by the Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) says that brand-name drugs are behind high prescription drug costs, and that those costs aren’t only hurting patients’ financial wellbeing, but also endangering their health.

Scott Gottlieb, MD, Commissioner of the FDA, is calling for changes to biosimilar regulation to help facilitate biosimilar approval, market entry, and competition.

The Center for Biosimilars recaps the top 5 biosimilars articles for the week of February 12, 2018.

Celltrion’s head of strategy and operations, Ho Ung Kim, told reporters this week that the intravenous Herzuma could be launched at as much as a 50% discount to a subcutaneously administered presentation of the reference Herceptin.

On Friday, the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors (CEA), an agency within the Executive Office of the President, released a white paper titled “Reforming Biopharmaceutical Pricing at Home and Abroad.”

“It is likely that the remediation by Celltrion of the issues addressed in the warning letter will result in a delayed approval of the biosimilar products by the FDA,” Teva told investors.

According to the recently released Personalized Medicines Coalition 2017 Progress report, the FDA approved a record number of 16 new personalized medicines in 2017.

The Center for Biosimilars recaps the top 5 biosimilars articles for the week of February 5, 2018.

On January 29, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) held a joint press conference with members of the Dutch government to unveil plans for the new customized headquarters facility being built in the Zuidas business district.

The Center for Biosimilars recaps the top 5 biosimilars articles for the week of January 29, 2018.

Before the Wisconsin State Assembly’s health committee today is Assembly Bill 679, an act to address biosimilar substitution at the pharmacy level.

Biosimilars have reached a tipping point in the US market, according to a new drug pricing forecast from consulting company Vizient.

The FDA has issued a warning letter to Celltrion, maker of the infliximab biosimilar Inflectra. The company announced today that, on January 30, the company received a letter from the agency that “raises issues related to certain manufacturing process[es]” at its Incheon, Republic of Korea facility.

Scott Lassman, JD, partner in Goodwin's Technology and Life Sciences Group, explains some of the challenges with proposals to allow the United States to import cheaper drugs from Canada or other highly regulated pharmaceutical markets.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has announced that it will not use 4-letter suffixes in naming biologic and biosimilar medicines (as the FDA currently requires).

On Friday, the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion on and recommended a marketing authorization for Mylan and Biocon’s Semglee, an insulin glargine follow-on that will be available in the European Union as a solution for injection for patients with diabetes.

This week, the FDA announced that it has issued a direct final rule that amends the biologics regulations to remove what it calls “outdated requirements” and help to eliminate inconsistencies and duplicative processes.

The Center for Biosimilars recaps the top 5 biosimilars articles for the week of January 22, 2018.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a survey of pharmaceutical companies to assess their preparedness for the United Kingdom’s upcoming withdrawal from the European Union, as it hopes to identify any concerns about the continued supply of drugs during the Brexit transition.

The report from Trinity Partners details findings from qualitative research with 10 medical directors at US payer organizations, representing plans covering over 100 million commercial and Medicare enrollees in the United States.

Congress has passed a short-term spending package that will fund the government through February 8, 2018, and allow the FDA to resume normal operations.

The Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology has released its official position on the use of biosimilars in oncology. Thus far, only 2 oncology biosimilars (filgrastim and trastuzumab) have been approved for use in Brazil, though the number of applications filed with the National Health Surveillance Agency is expected to grow steadily in the coming years.

The FDA and Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, have made a number of announcements already in 2018. Here are 3 key regulatory developments that have taken place in the early days of January.

Four hospital groups, representing approximately 450 US hospitals, are planning to create their own nonprofit generic drug company in a bold move designed to address generic drug shortages and high prices affecting their hospitals.

The Center for Biosimilars recaps the top 5 biosimilars articles for the week of January 15, 2018.

Amgen and Allergan announced on Thursday that the European Commission has granted a marketing authorization to Mvasi, a biosimilar bevacizumab referencing Avastin, for the treatment of certain cancers.

In an expert review, the authors provide transparency about biosimilar production, approvals, risk, and benefits to help improve confidence that the same safety and efficacy can be expected from biologics and their biosimilars.

The United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced yesterday that it will not make any sudden changes to the nation’s regulatory framework following the country’s exit from the European Union.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, delivered the keynote address during a symposium, "Transparency at the US Food and Drug Administration,” hosted today by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In his speech, Gottlieb announced a number of new initiatives to make the reasoning behind FDAs decision-making more transparent to all healthcare stakeholders.