Regulatory

To help bring down sky-high drug prices, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pushing for faster biosimilar development, more transparency, and tougher rules on pharmacy benefit managers—aiming to save billions and make meds more affordable for everyone.

States with fewer restrictions on biosimilar substitution tend to see higher uptake of interchangeable insulin glargine, showing how even small policy details can significantly influence biosimilar adoption and expand access to more affordable insulin.

Lawmakers and expert witnesses emphasized the potential of biosimilars to lower health care costs by overcoming barriers like pharmacy benefit manager practices, limited awareness, and regulatory delays to improve access and competition in chronic disease management during a recent congressional hearing.

Biocon Biologics expands its oncology biosimilar roster after gaining FDA approval for Jobevne (bevacizumab-nwgd), the sixth biosimilar referencing Avastin (bevacizumab).

Global biosimilar regulatory harmonization will be needed to reduce development costs and improve patient access, despite challenges posed by differing national requirements and regulatory frameworks, according to review authors.

Celltrion's Omlyclo (omalizumab-igec) is the first omalizumab biosimilar to be approved for US patients, and it was approved with interchangeability, making it easier for patients to switch to the Xolair competitor.

Since the FDA’s groundbreaking approval of Zarxio in 2015, the US biosimilars market has surged to 67 approvals across 18 originators—though the journey has been anything but smooth, with adoption facing hurdles along the way.

The approvals for Celltrion's denosumab-bmwo (Stoboclo and Osenvelt) mark the third FDA green light for a biosimilar to treat osteoporosis and bone metastases.

February brought policy updates and several biosimilar approvals, including the first FDA approval for an insulin aspart biosimilar.

The FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA) mandate high similarity between biosimilars and reference products, but their regulatory processes differ, especially with multiple reference products.

Celltrion expands its reach in Europe, securing marketing authorization from the European Commission (EC) for its denosumab biosimilar candidate (Stoboclo and Osenvelt) and its aflibercept biosimilar (Eydenzelt).

The FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted approval, with interchangeability in the US, to Samsung Bioepis' denosumab biosimilars, which will be marketed under different names depending on whether they will be used to treat osteoporosis or bone metastases.

The FDA approved Merilog (insulin-aspart-szjj) as the first biosimilar to reference Novolog (insulin aspart) for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with type 2 diabetes.

The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr as secretary of HHS, setting up the vaccine skeptic to carry out major changes in pursuit of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommended 3 biosimilars and new indications for reference biologics, moving them closer to final European approval and expanding patient access.

Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, argues that regulatory agencies should eliminate redundant clinical efficacy testing for biosimilars, recognizing them as "biogenerics" since physicochemical and in vitro biological comparisons are sufficient to ensure safety and efficacy.

In 2024, the FDA approved 19 biosimilars across various therapeutic areas, including the first biosimilars for ustekinumab and denosumab, marking significant progress in expanding treatment options and market competition.

The 3 largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) increased many specialty generic drugs prices by hundreds of percent, with some drugs seeing thousands of percent markups, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s second interim report on PBM practices.

Achieving global regulatory harmonization for biosimilar vaccines and immunotherapies is essential to improving market access, reducing costs, and enhancing patient outcomes by streamlining approval processes, fostering international collaboration, and addressing regulatory disparities.

To close out the year, 4 senators came together to introduce a new bipartisan bill to protect biosimilar and generic drug manufacturers from patent litigation when obtaining “skinny label” approvals for their products.

First-line cetuximab beta injection has received NMPA marketing approval in RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.

In 2024, significant biosimilar approvals were granted by the American and European regulatory agencies, including the first interchangeability designations for biosimilars referencing ustekinumab, adalimumab, denosumab, and aflibercept, marking key regulatory milestones in improving patient access to cost-effective treatments.

Health Canada has approved Omlyclo, the first omalizumab biosimilar in Canada, for the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria, allergic asthma, and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, based on a phase 3 study confirming its bioequivalence to the reference product.

Alvotech and Advanz Pharma have submitted a European marketing application for their golimumab biosimilar to treat inflammatory diseases, while Celltrion secured Korean approval for denosumab biosimilars, and Intas Pharmaceuticals partnered with Xbrane Biopharma on a nivolumab biosimilar.

The European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion for the denosumab biosimilars SB16 for all indications referencing Prolia and Xgeva.

Biosimilars could improve access to biologic treatments and health care sustainability in Latin America, but their adoption is hindered by misconceptions, regulatory gaps, and weak pharmacovigilance, requiring targeted education and stronger regulations.

The European Commission grants marketing authorization to 2 aflibercept biosimilars; Biosimilars Canada launches new campaign to provide sustainable solutions to employers; Celltrion shares positive data for 2 biosimilars.

On this special episode of Not So Different honoring Global Biosimilars Week, Craig Burton, executive director of the Biosimilars Council, explores how global policies—from incentives to health equity strategies—could boost biosimilar adoption in the US.

The article by Sarfaraz K. Niazi, PhD, argues that the FDA’s classification of future copies of messenger RNA (mRNA) products could be reconsidered, suggesting they might be eligible for new drug applications (NDAs) or a hybrid biosimilar category due to their unique characteristics and increasing prevalence.