News


Biosimilars: when indications can be extrapolated

Published on 2015/07/28

Extrapolation* is already a well-established and accepted scientific and regulatory principle, according to members of the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Biosimilar Medicinal Products Working P...

Development of biosimilars for rheumatoid arthritis

Published on 2015/07/24

Biosimilars development is a hive of activity, with development of biosimilars for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis being one of the busiest areas in the biosimilars field, see Table 1 [1]. ...

Predicting the response of diabetes patients to biosimilar insulin

Published on 2015/07/22

For patients with type 1 diabetes, the quality of the insulin they take is a matter of life and death. The situation is similar for patients with type 2 diabetes. The question is what will these p...

Biosimilars: similar but not identical

Published on 2015/07/20

One reason for distrust among physicians over using biosimilars in extrapolated* indications could be the fact that it is frequently cited that biosimilars are ‘similar but not identicalââ‚...

Study results show safety of switching to biosimilar infliximab

Published on 2015/07/16

US-based Epirus Biopharmaceuticals (Epirus) announced on 23 September 2014 positive week 58 follow-up data from its global phase III study for its biosimilar infliximab (BOW015). Results of the op...

Patients satisfied with generics

Published on 2015/07/14

A report by health information resource, Iodine, has found that patients have a similar level of satisfaction with generics compared to brand-name drugs. The study into ‘Comparative...

Improved labelling sought for biosimilar acceptance

Published on 2015/07/10

The terms of approval for every biosimilar and its reference product must be made clearer, argue the European Biopharmaceutical Enterprises (EBE) [1]. The development of biosimilar regulatory path...

Generics save US 1.5 trillion over last 10 years

Published on 2015/07/08

Generics have saved consumers and the US healthcare system US$239 billion in 2013 and have saved the US nearly US$1.5 trillion between 2004 and 2013, according to a report by the Generic Pharmaceu...

Changes to pharmaceutical policy during an economic recession

Published on 2015/07/06

The use of antipsychotic medicines across Finland and Portugal following the recent economic recession have been analysed in order to gauge the impact of contrasting pharmaceutical policy interven...

Biosimilar bevacizumab similar to Avastin in preclinical assessments

Published on 2015/07/02

Amgen’s biosimilar bevacizumab candidate (ABP 215) to Avastin [1]. Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody. It inhibits angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels) by ...

Extrapolation for biosimilars

Published on 2015/06/30

Regarding extrapolation* of indications for biosimilars, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has stated that ‘if clinical similarity can be shown in a key indication, extrapolation of effica...

Mobilization of stem cells by biosimilar Nivestim and Neupogen

Published on 2015/06/29

Comparison of biosimilar granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), Nivestim and originator G-CSF, Neupogen (filgrastim), showed no statistical differences when used for the mobilization of pe...