Approval of Accord’s Trastuzumab Biosimilar: On September 18, 2024, Accord announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 420 mg dosage of HERCESSI (trastuzumab-strf), a biosimilar to Genentech’s HERCEPTIN (trastuzumab), to treat HER2-overexpressing breast and gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. As we previously reported, HERCESSI was approved earlier this year by the
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Preliminary Injunction Denied Against Amgen in Aflibercept BPCIA Litigation
In a sealed order that issued on September 24, 2024, the District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia denied a preliminary injunction against Amgen in the aflibercept BPCIA litigation. Based on alleged infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,084,865 (“’865 patent”), Regeneron had requested a preliminary injunction that would prevent Amgen from launching PAVBLU…
Eli Lilly Files Suit Challenging the FDA’s Drug Classification of Retatrutide
On September 3, 2024, Eli Lilly filed a complaint against the FDA in the District Court for the Southern District of Indiana pursuing the latest challenge to the FDA’s application of its “biological product” classification. See Eli Lilly & Co. v. Becerra et al., No. 1:24-cv-01503 (S.D. Ind.). Lilly argues that the FDA improperly classified…
Celltrion Wins Brazilian Federal Tender for Trastuzumab for Fifth Consecutive Year
On September 13, 2024, Celltrion announced that its Brazilian subsidiary won the Federal Government of Brazil’s bid to supply HERZUMA (trastuzumab-pkrb) for the fifth consecutive year, with around 660,000 vials to be delivered through 2025. According to the announcement, HERZUMA is the most prescribed trastuzumab drug launched in Brazil and accounts for more than 50%…
Alteogen Seeks Approval for Aflibercept Biosimilar in Korea
On September 13, 2024, Alteogen announced that it has applied for marketing authorization in Korea for ALT-L9, an aflibercept biosimilar of EYLEA®. According to Alteogen, a 12-country Phase 3 study showed that ALT-L9 met its primary endpoint and demonstrated therapeutic equivalence to EYLEA®.
On July 1, 2024, Alteogen’s subsidiary, Altos Biologics, Inc., had submitted its…
WHO Prequalifies Bavarian Nordic’s MVA-BN as First Vaccine Against Mpox
On September 13, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it added the first vaccine against monkeypox (mpox) to its prequalification list. The vaccine, MVA-BN, is manufactured by Bavarian Nordic A/S.
Prequalification is a mechanism “used to evaluate quality, safety and efficacy of medical products, such as vaccines . . . for use in…
Alexion and Samsung Settle Eculizumab BPCIA Case
On August 30, 2024, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Alexion Pharma International Operations Ltd. (collectively, “Alexion”) and Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd. (“Samsung Bioepis”) settled their BPCIA dispute related to Samsung Bioepis’s biosimilar EPYSQLI® (eculizumab-aagh). Alexion had sued Samsung Bioepis in January 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware for infringement of six…
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Announces Lower Prices for First Ten Drugs Selected for Medicare Price Negotiation
As we have previously reported, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) changed the government’s treatment of certain prescription drugs under the Medicare program by directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Drug Price Negotiation Program (“the Program”; see here for a full recap of the Program’s structure). The IRA instructed…
PTAB Institutes Sarepta’s IPR
As we previously reported, REGENXBIO’s litigation against Sarepta, alleging infringement of U.S. Patent No. 11,680,274 (the “’274 patent”) by Sarepta’s gene therapy product, was stayed pending resolution of Sarepta’s IPR against the ’274 patent.
The PTAB now has granted institution of Sarepta’s IPR, which challenges claims 1, 3-6, and 8 of the ’274 patent as…
Update on Recent International Biosimilar Approvals
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 multiple immune-mediated diseases. It is…