News

The tax reform bill proposed by Republicans and passed by the House this week contains benefits for many in the pharmaceutical industry. The reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% will benefit all cash-flow-positive businesses, and the new, lower 15.5% rate for repatriating cash held overseas is likely to result in large companies becoming flush with cash, allowing them to buy back stock, increase shareholder returns, and fuel a wave of merger and acquisition (M&A) activity.

Fresenius Kabi, a subsidiary of the German-based Fresenius SE and Co. KFaA, announced yesterday that its Marketing Authorization Application for MSB11022, an adalimumab (Humira) biosimilar candidate, was submitted and accepted for review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Mylan has announced that the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) has instituted inter partes review (IPR) proceedings on all claims against 2 patents that cover Sanofi’s innovator insulin glargine injection, Lantus.

The way clinical trials are conducted and reported in the European Union will undergo a major change when the Clinical Trial Regulation comes into force in 2019.

Frank Dellanna, MD, and colleagues reviewed the journey of HX575 from development to approval in Europe, and describe a decade of clinical experience in patients with CKD, as the history and experience with this biosimilar provides an excellent example of a successful demonstration of biosimilarity.

Republic of Korea-based biosimilar developer Celltrion announced on December 16 that it has received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for its trastuzumab biosimilar, referenced on Roche’s blockbuster anticancer therapy, Herceptin. The positive opinion will now be referred to the European Commission for final review.

While anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapies are effective in helping patients with Crohn disease (CD) gain remission, data on using anti-TNFs in patients with stricturing CD are conflicting; some reports suggest that anti-TNF agents increase the risk of intestinal obstruction.

How much do analysts believe the top 10 biggest-selling drugs will earn in 2018? Our latest infographic breaks down the projections.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world’s largest generic drug maker, based in Israel, unveiled its restructuring plan yesterday, which comes with big cuts to its research and development (R&D) department and staff.

Improvements in the efficiency of certain research and development (R&D) processes and the wider adoption of new technologies are cause for optimisim.

Recently, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority announced in a press release that 5 pharmaceutical companies have breached the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry’s Code of Practice.

The FDA has released new draft guidance for industry on refuse-to-file (RTF) action taken by the FDA. The document seeks to clarify circumstances under which the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) may refuse to file a new drug application (NDA), supplemental NDA, or a Biologics License Application (BLA), or supplemental BLA for a product regulated by CDER.

The Center for Biosimilars® recaps the top 5 articles for the week of December 11.

Hospitals classified as 340B institutions are playing an increasingly large role in oncology care, and the rapid growth in the federal 340B program has resulted in big changes in the oncology drug marketplace, according to a recent white paper released by the Community Oncology Alliance.

The federal circuit ruled today in Amgen v Sandoz that state law cannot compel drug makers to participate in the so-called “patent dance” provided for in the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act because state law cannot preempt federal law.

Pfizer announced on December 13 that the FDA has approved Ixifi, PF-06438179, infliximab-qbtx, the company’s second biosimilar to the reference infliximab, Remicade.

A recently published study explored the impact of 2 different initial doses and a cumulative 2-year dose of rituximab on drug adherence and predictors of adherence to treatment in patients with RA in an observational clinical setting.

A significant proportion of patients with Crohn disease (CD) who initially respond to infliximab therapy experience secondary loss of response with symptom flares. Treatment intensification (using increases in dose, dose frequency, or a combination of both to implement intensification) is a suggested strategy for regaining response.

On December 13, the House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health heard testimony from a variety of healthcare stakeholders in a hearing titled “Examining the Drug Supply Chain.” During the proceeding, a follow-up to a hearing on implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act, several witnesses focused their attention on the promise of—and challenges specific to—biosimilars in the US marketplace.

A Delaware Magistrate Judge has recommended that Amgen’s lawsuit against biosimilar developer Coherus be dismissed.

Palivizumab (Synagis) is a monoclonal antibody that is used to help prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is a common virus that can cause serious lung infections in infants who are at high risk, including premature infants or those who have certain heart and lung diseases.

Roche has announced positive data on 2 of its innovator oncology biologics in combination with other therapies. The combinations using rituximab (MabThera, Rituxan) and bevacizumab (Avastin) could help the Swiss drug maker to protect sales of these monoclonal antibodies in the face of oncoming biosimilar competition.

A recent study examined whether the use of the anti–tumor necrosis factor agent infliximab could reduce the death of photoreceptors after retinal detachment in an experimental mouse model.

The pharmaceutical industry trade and lobbying group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) sued California state officials in federal court on December 8, 2017, over California’s new drug pricing law, which the group states is “unprecedented and unconstitutional.”

The FDA has granted final approval to the first short-acting follow-on insulin product, Sanofi’s Admelog (insulin lispro injection). Admelog is indicated to improve insulin control in blood sugar levels in adults and children aged 3 years and older who have type 1 diabetes and in adults who have type 2 diabetes.

Evaluate Group’s EP Vantage pharma and biotech preview of 2018 predicts that the uptick in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors that occurred in 2017 is likely to continue into 2018.

While the American College of Rheumatology praised the FDA for considering ways to reduce regulatory burden, the organization called on the FDA to focus on 6 “minimum components of review and oversight” for biosimilars.

Republic of Korea-based biopharma company Celltrion is looking to accelerate its momentum in Europe; analysts belive that the company could receive the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) approval to market its biosimilar of Roche’s blockbuster cancer treatment, Herceptin (trastuzumab), by March 2018.

Our latest infographic provides 3 key takeaways from the American Society of Hematology's (ASH) 59th Annual Meeting and Exposition.

This week, Leah Christl, PhD, associate director for therapeutic biologics, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), FDA, and Sue Lim, MD, medical officer at the FDA’s Office of New Drugs, held a webinar to discuss the regulatory framework for biosimilars as well as the development and approval process for these drugs.