PlantForm Will Challenge Merck's Dominance for Pembrolizumab
PlantForm will use tobacco plants to develop antibodies for its checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab biosimilar.
Shanghai Henlius Biotech Maps Out Its Biosimilars Future
Shanghai Henlius Biotech began as a 2-person enterprise in 2010 and now has multiple oncology products in development and 3 biosimilars on the market. An executive discusses its business trajectory.
Indian Biosimilar Standards: A Work in Progress
India has tightened up guidelines for biosimilar development in a quest to achieve standards equivalent to those in Europe and the United States.
Not So Different: Has Brexit Hindered Biosimilar Development?
Maria Manley, LLM, a life sciences expert, talks about how the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union has changed the regulatory landscape for biologics.
Column: A Biosimilars Dialogue With a Young Clinician
Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, a member of The Center for Biosimilars® Advisory Board, recounts a debate with a young clinician over the reliability of biosimilarity testing.
Stada Launches Bevacizumab Biosimilar
Seeking to develop a biosimilar portfolio, Stada Arzneimittel has launched Oyavas in Germany and the Netherlands.
The Top 5 Biosimilar Articles for the Week of March 29
Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of March 29, 2021.
Biosimilar Policy Roundup: March 2021
The month of March brought intense debate and legislative action over biosimilar policies.
CHMP Gives Remsima SC a Positive Recommendation
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency issued a thumbs up for a subcutaneous (SC) infliximab biosimilar candidate from Celltrion.
Panel: Insulin Biosimilar Competition May Be Scant at Best
Insulin is not a complex drug, but churning it out in massive quantities at high levels of purity is one of the main hurdles inhibiting biosimilar competition, panelists said.
Are Orphan Drug Biosimilars Too Costly and Difficult to Produce?
Potential developers of orphan drug biosimilars face daunting challenges to get these drugs approved and onto market, said a panel of experts.
Biosimilar Experts Debate Divergence in Regulatory Standards
Regulators want built-in flexibility, and that benefits biosimilar developers, but there can be a price for this amount of latitude, panelists said.
Samsung Bioepis Launches Adalimumab Biosimilar in Australia
Through a partnership with Merck, Samsung Bioepis adds to its portfolio of biosimilars available in Australia.
Dr Juliette Petit: How Nurses Can Prevent Nocebo Effect in Biosimilar Switching
Juliette Petit, MD, a French rheumatologist, talks about her recent study showing that nurses can help curb patient fears and prevent a possible nocebo effect when switching them to a biosimilar.
Phase 3 Trial Demonstrates Bioequivalence for EirGenix’s Trastuzumab Biosimilar Candidate
EirGenix, in partnership with Sandoz, announced positive safety and efficacy results for its trastuzumab biosimilar in patients with breast cancer.
The Brexit Rollout From the Biosimilars Perspective
A renowned expert on the life sciences industry in the United Kingdom provides an insightful look at Brexit and the importance for the pharmaceutical sector.
The Top 5 Biosimilar Articles for the Week of March 22
Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of March 22, 2021.
What Should Educational Materials Include to Instill Confidence in Biosimilars?
A panel of physicians gave advice on how biosimilar educational materials should instill confidence in these medications and which policies may be more harmful than beneficial.
AbbVie Accuses Alvotech of Trade Secret Piracy
The company claims in a suit that a former employee transferred high-concentration adalimumab trade secrets to his laptop and took those to a new job with Alvotech.
Biosimilar Experts Poke Holes in MSK's P-quad Model on Biosimilar Pricing
Biosimilars get short shrift in a proposed pricing model developed by the Drug Pricing Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), experts say.
Investigators Question Use of Animal Toxicology Studies for Biosimilar Development
Animal toxicology studies contribute little to demonstrations of biosimilarity and yet these studies frequently must be done to satisfy international regulatory requirements, investigators conclude.
MSK's Bach Touts Cap on Originator, Biosimilar Profits
Peter Bach, MD, MAPP, and his Drug Pricing Lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) argue profit caps will do better than the current biosimilar system.
Harvard Paper: CMS Coding, Other Factors at Fault for Tepid Biosimilar Savings
Biosimilars are intended to save money for the health care system, but for many reasons, they are not succeeding in this mission, Harvard authors argue.
Moffitt Chief Pharmacy Officer Discusses NCCN Biosimilar Recommendations
Kenneth Komorny, PharmD, BCPS, was a co-lead on development of National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommendations for biosimilar management. He explains some of the positions the NCCN has taken.
The Top 5 Biosimilar Articles for the Week of March 15
Here are the top 5 biosimilar articles for the week of March 15, 2021.
Merck Will Make Its Biosimilars Spinoff a Publicly Traded Company
Following lackluster experience with biosimilar marketing in the United States, Merck moves forward with spinoff plan.
Study: Rapid Adoption Noted for Kanjinti During First Year of Availability
Investigators observed early adoption of the trastuzumab biosimilar Kanjinti in patients with early breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer.
Minnesota State Senator Discusses Pushback to Groundbreaking Biosimilar Coverage Bill
State Senator Carla Nelson explains how the pharmaceutical industry is reacting to her bill requiring payers to cover all approved biosimilars and reference products.
Pfizer Scales Down Biosimilars Activity in China
Pfizer said it has made a business decision to cease production of biosimilars at a $350 million plant it built recently in Hangzhou, China.
Poll: How Much Discretion Should Payers Have Over Biosimilar Coverage?
Coverage policies for biosimilars in the health care industry are the source of much angst.