Tag: Biocon

Partners Mylan and Biocon Announce Launch of Trastuzumab Biosimilar Ogivri®

Amgen now has company as the second biosimilar competitor to Herceptin® has launched. On December 2, 2019, Mylan and Biocon announced the availability of Ogivri in the United States.

A price for the new biosimilar was not announced, but it is assumed that they will need to meet or beat Amgen’s initial offering, which was 13% below the average sales price of Herceptin. Mylan and Biocon have a licensing agreement with Genentech; it is unknown as to whether Amgen’s launch in July 2019 prompted an earlier-than-expected launch for Mylan/Biocon.

Ogivri is available in single-use vials in doses of 150 mg and 420 mg.

This marks the second biosimilar launch for the partners, the first being their pegfilgrastim product Fulphila® in 2018.

In other biosimilar news…The Food and Drug Administration released in November its long-awaited draft guidelines for approval of biosimilar insulin agents. March 1, 2020 is the date FDA set for transitioning insulin copies, among other products (e.g., growth hormone) to the 351(k) approval pathway. The guidelines outline a key update to the expected regulations. Studies proving immunogenicity characteristics of the biosimilar insulin agents will likely not be necessary, which should lower the cost of entry and entice some prospective manufacturers. In its justification, FDA asserted that if the analytical assessment requirements are met, there would be very little risk of immunogenicity caused by the new biosimilar insulin.

New Legislative Proposals Offer Hope to Insulin Follow-on Manufacturers

This may be good news for partners Mylan and Biocon: Two bills are circulating on Capitol Hill that can alter the transition of insulins to biologic agents in March 2020. However, the timing for passage of these bills is questionable.

The Senate’s Affordable Insulins Approval Now Act (S.2103), a bipartisan bill that was introduced by Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL) in mid-July, has 13 cosponsors to date. It was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where it awaits review.

Insulin transition
Senator Richard J. Durbin

Under this bill, a pharmaceutical company may file a 505(b)2 application for an insulin product before January 1, 2020 and still be evaluated via the abbreviated new drug approval pathway beyond the March 20, 2020 transition date. These filings are regulated under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which governs the approval of nonbiologic drugs.

If S.2103 is passed, Mylan/Biocon, which received a complete response letter from the Food and Drug Administration September 25 for its follow-on insulin product, would not have to refile for approval under the 351(k) pathway as a biosimilar. Under the terms of S.2103, the insulin would only be transitioned to biologic status and regulated under the Public Health Services Act once approval has been obtained (regardless of when that occurred).

A separate House bill (HR.4244) was introduced in September by Representative Michael Kelly (R-PA). This proposal takes a different approach towards encouraging insulin copy development—completely removing the mandate to transition insulin copies to the 351(k) approval pathway. This bill, which has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, does not have any cosponsors at present. Under Representative Kelly’s proposal, insulin copies would be carved out and continue to be regulated under section 505 of the FD&C Act.

The timing and current status of these bills make it seem unlikely they would be signed into law before the transition date of March 20, 2020. However, it is possible that actions of this type can be attached to other legislation that is further along. Companies like Mylan and Biocon certainly hope so, otherwise valuable time (having to wait until March 24, 2021 to apply as a biosimilar) will be lost in this regulatory “dead zone.”

Biocon and Mylan: The Race to Approve Insulin Glargine Follow-on

Biocon received a second complete response letter relating to manufacturing plant problems in Malaysia. This may seem like a straight forward issue that could hamper its efforts to produce an insulin glargine follow-on agent, but it can become a major problem barring a very quick resolution.

In the filing Biocon made to the India Stock Exchange, the company said, “The CRL did not identify any outstanding scientific issues with the application. We remain confident of the quality of our application and do not anticipate any impact of this CRL on the commercial launch timing of our insulin glargine in the US.” However, that may be a fairly optimistic opinion.

Insulin copies are part of the class of biologics designated “transitional products” that will be approved only through the 351(k) biosimilar approval pathway after March 2020. The latest rules issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) specify that if a product in this drug class (and others like growth hormones) does not receive approval by this date, the manufacturer must submit an entirely new biologic licensing application (for approval as a full-fledged biosimilar). That would require completing all of the necessary developmental steps—proving the physiochemical and pharmacodynamic equivalence to what would now be termed the reference product—Lantus®.

The FDA rules for transition products do not exempt agents that have already received complete response letters and may still be in the FDA’s queue. This is relevant because neither of Biocon’s rejection letters (the first issued in June 2018) pointed to problems with the scientific evaluation of its insulin glargine. Rather, both involved failed inspections at the plants at which Biocon was going to manufacture the agent. The drug was approved by the European Medicines Agency and is currently available by prescription in the EU.

As indicated in a previous post, pharmaceutical company interest in insulin biosimilars is fairly low. That may be because of the approaching transition date.

The question remains, can Biocon correct its Malaysian manufacturing plant deficiencies, can FDA reinspect, and can FDA issue final approval for this 505(b)2 agent before February 29, 2020? If not, even if Biocon’s plant passes inspection in December 2019, that will likely result in years’ long delay before the new BLA can be submitted.

Pfizer Receives Approval for Trazimera, the Fourth Trastuzumab Biosimilar

A fourth trastuzumab biosimilar has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer’s biosimilar version of trastuzumab-qyyp (Trazimera) gained approval on March 11.

The principal phase 3 study tested Trazimera against the EU-licensed version of Herceptin®. The REFLECTIONS B327-02 study found no relevant differences in the clinical and safety outcomes for patients with HER2–positive metastatic breast cancer, who also received paclitaxel. A second study tested Trazimera versus EU-licensed Herceptin in combination with docetaxel and carboplatin as neoadjuvant therapy, again demonstrating similar outcomes. The FDA’s approval covers both indications approved for Herceptin (treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer and metastatic gastric/ gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma).

Pfizer first filed for approval of its trastuzumab biosimilar in the third quarter of 2017, and received a rejection from FDA in April 2018. Resubmission in June 2018, with additional information requested by the FDA, resulted in the current approval. The product was approved by the European Medicines Agency last year.

As with the other approved biosimilar versions of trastuzumab (Herzuma, Ogivri, and Ontruzant) in the United States, Trazimera is not yet available for prescription. Pfizer signed a licensing agreement with Herceptin’s maker Roche in December 2018, but a launch date is not yet available.

In other biosimilar news…Biocon’s biosimilar manufacturing plant has received a second citation from the FDA. The new Form 483 specified two issues, one involving sanitizing a type of barrier system and problems in tracking rejected vials.

Mylan’s Fulphila Pegfilgrastim Biosimilar Launches at Big Discount

The first pegfilgrastim biosimilar (Fulphila™) in the US has begun marketing, and Mylan/Biocon are offering a 33% discount to the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) of the originator product Neulasta®. The Center for Biosimilars reported a communication from Mylan confirming the action. This is a watershed moment for the pegfilgrastim category and could signal the beginning of large savings opportunities for payers and patients.

At a WAC of $4,175 per syringe, the pegfilgrastim biosimilar may be very attractive to health plans and insurers. It is also assumed that this will effectively drive down the average sales price (ASP) of the category over time. The ASP includes the WAC as well as any rebates or discounts given by the manufacturers.

The pegfilgrastim biosimilar, like the reference drug, Amgen’s Neulasta, is approved to decrease the incidence of infection as manifested by febrile neutropenia in patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

Although patent litigation between the partners and the maker of the originator product (Amgen), Mylan/Biocon have decided to launch at risk. This means that if the District Court sides with Amgen, Mylan’s could face large financial penalties, including profits on the sales of the biosimilar.

Mylan and Biocon Land First Pegfilgrastim Biosimilar Approval

The race to bring a pegfilgrastim biosimilar to market officially started on December 17, 2014. The checkered flag fluttered 3½ years later on June 4, 2018, with the Mylan/Biocon team winning on a slow track. The partners earned approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), becoming the first biosimilar to challenge for this $4 billion market.

Mylan will market the product in the US, and it is assumed that the product will be launched shortly,= to take advantage of their window of opportunity. The drug will be called Fulphila™, and the FDA assigned a formal name of pegfilgrastim-jmdb. The next likely competitor, Coherus, is expected to receive word from the FDA by November 2. Mylan will have the chance to quickly grab marketshare if they produce attractive deals for payers.

What Is the Biosimilar Pegfilgrastim Market Opportunity?

We’ve covered the contest to bring a biosimilar pegfilgrastim to market, with considerable depth. The progress and setbacks of Mylan/Biocon, Coherus Biosciences, Sandoz, and Apotex have been tracked. Other drug makers are also working on plans towards 351(k) applications for approval. Eventually—likely sooner than later—one or two will hit the market.

Biosimilar Pegfilgrastim, Neulasta®, and Onpro®

Amgen, maker of the originator product Neulasta®, disclosed in its first-quarter financial report that the total sales for the product in the US is $1.0 billion, $146 million for the rest of the world, for a total of $1.15 billion. This means a US market of approximately $4 billion for one year of sales. Amgen also noted that 62% of its first-quarter Neulasta sales are associated with its Onpro® kit. Although the major patents for pegfilgrastim have expired, Onpro is still protected by patent. Onpro does have some significant advantages in that the patient does not need to go to the doctor’s office for an injection after receiving chemotherapy. The sales figures indicate that doctors prescribe it in preference to the injectable form of pegfilgrastim.

Neulasta OnproAt a current 62% marketshare for Neulasta Onpro, the initial total slice of the pie available for biosimilars may only be $1.5 billion (not considering WAC discounts). If we assume a 20% discount, this may be closer to $1.2 billion. It may not seem logical for Amgen to make great efforts to defend its share of injectable pegfilgrastim because of its successful conversion to Onpro. Also, Onpro does have marketable advantages over the injectable form.

The list price of Neulasta is upwards of $7000 per injection, and Amgen does not charge additionally for the Onpro kit. This stance may prove an incentive to health plans and insurers to not encourage biosimilar use over Onpro.

Will Physicians Resist Moving From Onpro to a Biosimilar Pegfilgrastim Injection?

The $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion estimate also assumes that Amgen cannot convert more patients to Onpro prior to approval of a new biosimilar. That would further shrink the revenue opportunity. Physicians may also resist payer efforts and not prescribe the injectable form if they favor the Onpro kit. To the extent that payers may prefer the biosimilar (or otherwise restrict the use of a more expensive originator agent) when it becomes available, that slice of the pie could increase quite a bit. Furthermore, the picture could also change in a few years as biosimilar manufacturers develop delivery systems that gain the same advantages as Onpro.

In its earnings report, Amgen indicated the sales of Neulasta have been decreasing, by 5% from the same quarter last year. This may be the result of movement to other, less-toxic cancer chemotherapies or other treatments to prevent neutropenia and its related infections.

The Onpro market for the rest of the world may be given a boost soon, as Amgen also announced that the European Medicines Agency issued a positive opinion for the drug maker to include the Onpro Kit in its EU label.

As reported in BR&R, Coherus CEO Denny Lanfear thought the pegfilgrastim market may be split in a manner similar to that for filgrastim (i.e., 30%/30%/40% shares for 2 biosimilar makers and the originator). That may possibly mean 30% of a $1.2 billion US market (not $4 billion), if payers do not emphasize the use of the biosimilar over Onpro.

Trastuzumab Dosing May Be Given in Half the Time: Will Costs/Revenues Be Cut as Well?

An upcoming presentation at the annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting promises equal efficacy and much improved safety for patients with early-stage breast cancer receiving Herceptin®. This change in trastuzumab dosing from a 12-month to a 6-month regimen will have ramifications for patients, health systems, and manufacturers.

trastuzumab biosimilarA number of biosimilar drug makers are trying to be the first to enter the market for trastuzumab. Mylan/Biocon’s Ogivri™ (trastuzumab-dkst) is the only approved agent in the US, but it will not launch before 2019, owing to a licensing agreement with Roche. Amgen/Allergan is expecting word from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by May 28th on their own biosimilar version. Samsung Bioepis is also expecting a decision in the fourth quarter of this year. This new study could significantly lower anticipated revenues for these drug makers. The expected pricing pressures of the category (another 2 manufacturers are working through complete response letters from the FDA) will further add to lower revenue.

Trastuzumab Study Results: Half as Long Just as Good

This British study comprised over 4,000 women (median age, 56 yr) who were followed for more than five years. Patients were randomized to receive the originator trastuzumab for either six or 12 months, in addition to usual standard of care. The researchers found that the disease-free survival was 89.8% in the 12-month group compared with 89.4% for the 6-month group. However, the latter showed significantly fewer toxic effects of cancer therapy.

The wholesale acquisition cost for trastuzumab approaches $6,400 per month ($76,700 per 12-mo course). This may lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs, depending on how quickly they reach their cost-sharing maximums. Typically, women taking trastuzumab will be subject to a fixed copay (e.g., $300 per treatment) or a co-insurance (e.g., 20% or $1,280 per month) for this medication alone. Yet, even with the treatment duration being halved, some patients may reach their out-of-pocket maximums. This is the result of office visits, other medications to be taken, and other care related to the toxic side effects of chemotherapy.

Half the Duration but not Half the Costs

For payers and health systems, cost savings will be substantial, but not halved. Most of the costs will be incurred with the first 4 months of weekly therapy. After 12 to 18 weeks, treatments are stretched out to infusions every 3 weeks for the remainder of the regimen. For a 100-kg woman who would receive a total of 5,400 mg of trastuzumab over 52 weeks, this could be reduced to 3,666 mg over 26 weeks (–32%).

The real benefit, should these study results pass scrutiny of peer review and inclusion in practice guidelines, will be in the lower frequency of toxic adverse effects. According to its prescribing information, trastuzumab is associated with “left ventricular cardiac dysfunction, arrhythmias, hypertension, disabling 197 cardiac failure, cardiomyopathy, and cardiac death.” This can occur during therapy (causing discontinuation) or in the years after treatment is completed.

We hope that the good news represented by these study results for patients does not dissuade other manufacturers from seeking biosimilar trastuzumab approval.

Pfizer Gets Green Light From the FDA on Epogen® Biosimilar

It has taken a long time, but Pfizer finally earned approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the first biosimilar version of Epogen®. The drug, Retacrit® (epoetin alfa-epbx), had originally been submitted for approval in December 2014. Its much stalled road to approval is finally at an end.

After an initial rejection, the FDA’s Advisory Committee voted overwhelmingly (14–1) in May 2017 to give the product a green light. However, the FDA changed the traffic light to red, issued a second complete response letter in June 2017, citing issues with its manufacturing plant in McPherson, Kansas (a plant Pfizer inherited with its acquisition of Hospira).

Retacrit is approved for the treatment of anemia caused by chemotherapy or chronic kidney disease, for use in patients taking zidovudine for the treatment of HIV infection, and to reduce the need for red-cell blood transfusions before, during, or after surgery.

This is the 10th biosimilar approved by the FDA, and Pfizer is expected to shortly launch only the fourth biosimilar agent. Epogen’s patent has long expired, and it was one of the first biosimilars approved in Europe (in 2007). Retacrit has been marketed in the EU for over 10 years. It is one of four biosimilar epoetin products available overseas.

In other biosimilar news… Mylan’s earnings call on May 9 produced little clarity on the fate of its upcoming FDA decision on its pegfilgrastim biosimilar. Although CEO Heather Bresch believes that its product will represent one of its most important launches of the year, she could not shed any light on partner Biocon’s response to the FDA’s critical review of its manufacturing facility. The PDUFA date is June 4; a positive decision means that Mylan/Biocon will have beaten the competition to the market for this important biosimilar product.

Fujifilm Gains Further Exposure in Biosimilar Partnerships

The biosimilar industry continues to make strange bedfellows. In July 2016, I reported in the Center for Biosimilars that a subsidiary of the Japanese camera maker, Fujifilm, had jumped into the biosimilar field. The Indian pharmaceutical company Biocon announced that it has launched its new insulin glargine biosimilar in Japan. Fujifilm Pharma Co, Ltd was named as the partner in this endeavor to commercialize the product in Japan.

Fujifilm Pharma is a producer of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, in addition to contrast media. This makes sense, as the parent is in the imaging business. Medical imaging can be a very natural extension of this activity. But biosimilars?

To reaffirm its strategy, Fujifilm announced a new partnership.  Its Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics subsidiary will manufacture a adalimumab biosimilar in the EU (filed for approval in the EU only) and will be commercialized by Mylan if approved. There is no information about whether Fujifilm will seek authorization to market this biosimilar in the US down the road.

Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin AstraZenecaTo further its chances of commercializing this biosimilar in the EU, Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics joined a lawsuit in April 2017 with Samsung Bioepis and its partner Biogen. The lawsuit, filed in the UK, sought to invalidate Abbvie’s two remaining adalimumab patents, and the UK court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, opening the door to marketing next year in Europe. Fujifilm also has a bevacizumab biosimilar (FKB 238) in phase 3 clinical investigation.

The parent company has over 200 subsidiaries, and it can be complicated to track which ones are directly involved. For example, another Fujifilm company, Fujifilm Diosynth, does contract manufacturing of biologics. Yet, the phase 3 trial being carried out on FKB238 is sponsored by Centus Biotherapeutics Limited, which is a joint venture between Astra Zeneca and Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics. Centus seems to be involved only with the bevacizumab biosimilar, not with the adalimumab agent. Despite this web of intrigue, Fujifilm is not likely to be overexposed in the biosimilar marketplace. It is also unknown whether their efforts will be affected by the recent difficulties of its partners Biocon and Mylan with getting its pegfilgrastim biosimilar approved. It has been reported that Biocon will also benefit from this latest Mylan collaboration.