Regulatory

An approval in Australia and positive recommendations for 2 biosimilars in Europe bring hope for more affordable biologics around the world. However, another settlement for a US ustekinumab biosimilar showcases that some barriers remain.

Perhaps the most significant development in the pharmaceutical industry in decades, crops of biosimilars are being approved and are ready for distribution. What lies next, in terms of legislation and the impact on pharmacists, remains to be seen.

Stelara (ustekinumab) and Enbrel (etanercept), 2 originator medications that will face biosimilar competition within the next decade, were among the 10 preliminary drugs chosen for Medicare price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

The FDA approved its first biosimilar indicated for multiple sclerosis (MS), Sandoz’ Tyruko (natalizumab-sztn), a biosimilar referencing Tysabi (natalizumab).

Streamlining biosimilar development would permit biosimilar development of more and a wider variety of biological drugs, fast-tracking biosimilar development without impacting patient safety or effectiveness, according to an opinion piece.

Formycon and Celltrion announced the FDA submissions for their aflibercept biosimilars; the European Medicines Agency accepted a marketing authorization application for an ustekinumab biosimilar; and Roche filed suit against Biogen over a tocilizumab biosimilar.

The Association for Accessible Medicines (AAM) published a white paper on the impact that ongoing drug shortages have had on the generic and biosimilar industries as well as possible solutions stakeholders can put into action.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, details his efforts to encourage congressional leaders to draft legislation that would remove interchangeability requirements and animal toxicology studies for biosimilars.

Senator Mike Lee (R, Utah) reintroduced the Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act to Congress. The bill aims to get rid of switching study requirements for companies looking to obtain an interchangeability designation for a biosimilar.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, flagged an upcoming FDA meeting where stakeholders can make public comment on whether clinical efficacy testing for biosimilars is necessary for regulatory approval.

The European Commission has granted marketing authorization to Samsung Bioepis' biosimilar referencing Soliris (eculizumab). The product, dubbed Epysqli, is the first hematology biosimilar from Samsung Bioepis to be approved in the European Union.

Celltrion Healthcare announced that the FDA has approved Yuflyma (adalimumab-aaty) as the ninth biosimilar referencing Humira (adalimumab).

Although the FDA has consistently edited its testing guidelines for biosimilar developers over the years, clinical testing is still very expensive and time-consuming. Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, offers the FDA and companies a plan of action for reducing clinical testing expenses for biosimilar products.

The 2023 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit featured Juliana (Julie) Reed, executive director of the Biosimilars Forum, who spoke on the challenges still facing the biosimilars industry and how they may impact the success of adalimumab biosimilars in the United States.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, dives into how pharmacodynamic (PD) markers may be better than clinical efficacy testing for predicting whether a biosimilar is equally as safe and effective as its reference product, in his latest column.

Over the past week, Vegzelma, a bevacizumab biosimilar, launched in the United States; 2 biologics license applications (BLAs) for biosimilars were accepted for review by the FDA; and China’s regulatory agency approved a denosumab biosimilar.

Two US senators introduced a bipartisan bill to extend the $35 out-of-pocket cap for insulin products, established by the Inflation Reduction Act for Medicare plans, to the commercial sector.

In a complete response letter (CRL) for Alvotech, the FDA cited “deficiencies” in the company’s manufacturing facility during a reinspection, further delaying the approval for the ninth adalimumab biosimilar until potentially June 2023.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use gave a thumbs up for an eculizumab biosimilar, and a biologic license application for a bevacizumab biosimilar was accepted in Brazil.

The European Union gained another high-concentration adalimumab biosimilar with the approval of Sandoz’ Hyrimoz HCF and the FDA accepted a biologics license application for a trastuzumab biosimilar (HLX02).

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, explains and analyzes the FDA's changes for the Biosimilar User Fee Act (BsUFA) meetings and how they influence the efficiency of the biosimilar approval process in the latest installment of his bimonthly column.

Yukon, 1 of 3 Canadian territories, announced that it will implement a biosimilars switching policy, following Newfoundland and Labrador’s announcement to move forward with a similar policy earlier this week.

The Increasing Access to Biosimilars Act of 2023 (HR 1352), a bill that would direct HHS to establish a demonstration project within Medicare that would establish a shared savings model for biosimilars, was introduced to the House of Representatives.

Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest Canadian province to implement a biosimilar switching policy, following in the footsteps of Ontario and 7 other jurisdictions.

At the Festival of Biologics, Juliana (Julie) Reed, executive director of the Biosimilars Forum, warned that without changes to encourage biosimilar uptake, companies will begin to ask the big question: Are biosimilars worth investing in?

In an article published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, researchers made recommendations to improve the biosimilar regulatory system and refine biosimilar guidelines in China.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, explained why Indian manufacturers aren’t bringing biosimilars to the United States and how FDA policies and procedures discourage global companies from pursuing US market entry.

The FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted applications for a trastuzumab biosimilar and an ustekinumab biosimilar, respectively, and Altos Biologics completed patient enrollment for a phase 3 trial assessing an aflibercept biosimilar.

In part 2 of this 2-part series, Ivo Abraham, PhD, chief scientist of Matrix45 and a professor at the University of Arizona, continued to examine guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and how they view interchangeability and animal study requirements.

The FDA approved the prefilled autoinjector version of Coherus Biosciences’ pegfilgrastim biosimilar (Udenyca), which will allow for patients at risk of febrile neutropenia to administer a full dose of pegfilgrastim at home.