Biologic Drugs in Development

New research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting demonstrates that atezolizumab could be a promising first-line therapy for the treatment of bladder cancer in cisplatin-ineligible patients.

Results of the HERITAGE study were announced at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.

Samsung Bioepis and partner Biogen announced on May 30 that the European Commission approved Flixabi for the treatment of six inflammatory conditions.

FDA accepted for review Samsung Bioepis’ BLA for SB2, a biosimilar to Remicade (infliximab).

Genentech received accelerated approval for its immunotherapy atezolizumab for the treatment of bladder cancer.

The Phase I trials will examine AX-1602’s clinical efficacy for the treatment of psoriasis and eczema.

Developers of CAR-T cell therapies with products showing successful early-stage clinical results are currently seeking manufacturing capacity that will enable the production of the larger quantities of material needed for Phase III trials and eventual commercialization.

Two main safety issues have been identified in the early-phase clinical trials conducted to date for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies.

The agency publishes draft guidance on assay development and validation for immunogenicity testing.

Linker technology and drug combinations play an important role in the efficacy of ADCs.

Inflectra is the second biosimilar to hit the market in the United States.

The company received a positive recommendation for it’s Remicade biosimilar, Flixabi (infliximab).

The BARDA-supported monoclonal antibody was approved both as a treatment after anthrax exposure and as an anthrax prophylactic.

The studies, conducted across eight countries with nearly 600 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, further support claims by Celltrion that Remsima is highly similar its reference product.

Kovaltry is an unmodified, full-length recombinant factor VII product used to treat hemophilia A in adults and children.

GW Pharmaceuticals released Phase III trial results on Epidiolex, which was shown to decrease monthly convulsive seizures in children by 39%.

Clinical trials of Eli Lilly’s ixekizumab showed the drug displayed clinically meaningful improvements in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

FDA fast-tracked the monoclonal antibody based on early clinical data from a Phase I trial.

FDA granted Immunomedics breakthrough therapy designation for the company’s investigational antibody drug conjugate for treatment of triple negative breast cancer.

ViaCyte and Janssen Biotech have entered Phase I/Phase II clinical trials for VC-01, a candidate treatment for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.

NICE announces plans to back biosimilar alternatives to Merck’s Remicade.

On Jan. 27, 2016 FDA announced it plans to review Merck’s investigational antitoxin prevention bezlotoxumab.

Samsung Bioepis receives approval from the European Commission for the Enbrel Biosimilar, Benepali.

Health Canada approved AbbVie’s Humira for the treatment of adults with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals receives orphan drug designation for HTTRx for the treatment of Huntington’s disease.

On Dec. 8, 2015, Sandoz, the generic pharmaceutical’s division of Novartis, announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted their marketing authorization application (MAA) for a biosimilar to Enbrel (etanercept), a tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibitor.

Amgen announced the submission of a BLA with the FDA for ABP 501.

FDA grants accelerated approval for Darzalex (daratumumab) for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

At least 70 patents for Humira will protect the legacy product from biosimilar competitors, according to information presented during the company’s third-quarter earnings call.

ProBioGen plans to develop and scale-up production of a biosimilar to the mAb cancer drug trastuzumab and will transfer the commercial manufacturing process to Indonesia’s government-owned Bio Farma.