On January 27, 2025, Alvotech and Teva announced FDA acceptance of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for AVT05, a proposed biosimilar to SIMPONI and SIMPONI ARIA. This marks the first U.S. BLA acceptance for a golimumab biosimilar, an anti-TNF therapy for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. The FDA…
On Dec 24, 2024, Bio-Thera Solutions Inc. announced that it has partnered with Tabuk Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Company to commercialize BAT2206, a proposed ustekinumab biosimilar to Jansen’s STELARA, in Saudi Arabia. According to the partnership agreement, Tabuk will hold the marketing authorization and be responsible to manufacture, register, import, and market…
On November 25, 2024, Intellia Therapeutics announced that its CRISPR-based therapy, nexiguran ziclumeran (nex-z, NTLA-2001), received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation from the FDA for treatment of hereditary transthyretin (ATTR) amyloidosis with polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN). Nex-z is an in vivo gene editing therapy designed as a single-dose treatment to inactivate…
On October 30, 2024, Shanghai Henlius Biotech and Organon announced that the FDA has accepted the Biologic License Application (BLA) for HLX14, a proposed biosimilar to PROLIA/XGEVA (denosumab). In 2022, Shanghai Henlius Biotech granted Organon exclusive commercialization rights for HLX14 in the U.S., EU, and Canada. The filing for HLX14…
In the last few weeks, the PTAB has granted institution of eight IPRs filed by Merck on Johns Hopkins patents directed to methods of treatment using pembrolizumab. The eight patents are generally directed to methods for treating cancer in a patient having a tumor that exhibits a high microsatellite instability…
On September 17, Express Scripts, Inc. (“Express Scripts”), one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in the United States, brought suit against the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) over its July 2024 interim report on the PBM industry. Express Scripts claims that the FTC’s report, titled “Pharmacy Benefit Managers: The Powerful…
Approval of Celltrion’s Ustekinumab Biosimilar in the EU: On August 26, 2024, Celltrion announced that the European Commission (EC) granted approval for STEQEYMA, formerly known as CT-P43, a biosimilar of STELARA (ustekinumab), for the treatment of several chronic inflammatory conditions. STEQEYMA is a human IL-12 and IL-23 antagonist indicated for…
Last month, the FDA issued draft guidance, which, if implemented, would remove a requirement for a switching study for demonstrating biosimilar interchangeability. For a biologic product that is administered more than once to an individual, a switching study refers to a clinical study used to determine the impact of alternating…
As we previously reported, on January 11, 2024, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Regeneron”) moved to establish a multi-district litigation (“MDL”) for its aflibercept BPCIA litigation, and to transfer its case against Amgen, Inc. (“Amgen”) to the Northern District of West Virginia under 28 U.S.C. § 1407. The litigation consists of six…
As we settle into 2024, we reflect on the significant legal developments of 2023 that hold potential impact on the biologics and biosimilars market. The following is a recap of some of the top five legal decisions and developments in the biosimilars and biologics space in 2023 that we covered…