Current understanding, knowledge, and perception of biosimilars in a changing landscape of regulatory requirements

Author byline as per print journal: Andriy Krendyukov, MD, PhD; Marta Bakowska, BA (Hon), MPH; Dirk Schiller, PhD; Sanjay Singhvi, BSc (Hon), MBBS, MBA Introduction: Healthcare providers often lack familiarity with the concepts surrounding the biosimilars industry and the evidence required to support biosimilar development. This paper assesses current understanding, knowledge and perception of biosimilars […]


Response to the Opinion entitled ‘Biosimilars drug development: time for a paradigm shift?’

Abstract: The Opinion published in this issue of GaBI Journal titled ‘Biosimilars drug development: time for a paradigm shift?’ by Sandeep N Athalye, Shivani Mittra and Ankitkumar M Ranpur proposes a number of changes to the regulatory processes currently in place for biosimilars. This response letter considers the implications and consequences of these. Submitted: 8 December […]


The EU regulatory network and emerging trends – a review of quality, safety and clinical development programmes

Author byline as per print journal: Marta Zuccarelli1, PharmD; Benjamin Micallef1, PharmD; Mark Cilia1, PharmD; Anthony Serracino-Inglott1,2, PharmD; John-Joseph Borg1,3, PhD Introduction/Study Objectives: The development of biosimilars is challenging due to the complexity of the active substances as well as the strict regulatory requirements to show similarity with a reference medicinal product. This review aims […]


Continuous manufacturing versus batch manufacturing: benefits, opportunities and challenges for manufacturers and regulators

Author byline as per print journal: Adjunct Associate Professor Sia Chong Hock, BSc (Pharm), MSc; Teh Kee Siang, BSc (Pharm)(Hon); Associate Professor Chan Lai Wah, BSc (Pharm)(Hon), PhD Continuous manufacturing (CM) is the integration of a series of unit operations, processing materials continually to produce the final pharmaceutical product. In recent years, CM of pharmaceuticals […]


First ASEAN educational workshop on regulation and approval of biosimilars/similar biotherapeutic products 2017 – Report

Author byline as per print journal: Robin Thorpe, PhD, FRCPath; Elwyn Griffiths, PhD, DSc; Niklas Ekman, PhD Abstract: Biosimilar medicines are being increasingly developed and used worldwide. Many regulatory agencies across the globe are assessing how policy and regulation can be adapted and developed to ensure that biosimilars can enter markets successfully, without affecting the safety […]


Pharmacovigilance, traceability and building trust in biosimilar medicines

Author byline as per print journal: Professor Teun van Gelder, MD, PhD; Benedicte Lunddahl, DVM; Professor Barbara OM Claus, PharmD, PhD Abstract: The Medicines for Europe’s Biosimilar Medicines Group met at the 2017 European Association of Hospital Pharmacists conference in France to discuss pharmacovigilance, traceability and building trust in biosimilar medicines. Submitted: 22 May 2017; Revised: 21 […]


Reducing healthcare costs and building trust in biosimilar medicines

Author byline as per print journal: Niklas Ekman, PhD; Professor Arnold G Vulto, PharmD, PhD; Paul Cornes, MD Abstract: The increasing cost of medicines was highlighted at the Biosimilar Medicines Group (formerly EBG) satellite symposium at the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists’ 2016 Vienna conference. Using biosimilars as a way to reduce pharmaceutical expenditure was […]


Health Canada’s perspective on the clinical development of biosimilars and related scientific and regulatory challenges

Abstract: Biologicals have offered a new avenue for targeting therapy to treat life-threatening and chronic diseases. The recent or pending patent expirations of many successful biologicals have permitted the marketing of ‘copy’ versions of the off-patent biologicals, generally known as biosimilars (subsequent entry biologics in Canada). The reduced clinical package and the potential for extrapolation […]


The EU regulatory approach to generics and biosimilars is essentially similar

Abstract: Notwithstanding the scientific and regulatory differences between generic and biosimilar medicines, the European Medicines Agency/Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has consistently applied a ‘same active substance’ approach to both. Submitted: 28 November 2014; Revised: 20 January 2015; Accepted: 27 January 2015; Published online first: 30 January 2015 It is often stated that […]


First GCC stakeholder meeting on approval process, interchangeability/substitution and safety of biosimilars 2017 – Report

Author byline as per print journal: Gianluca Trifirò, MD, PhD; Meteb Al-Foheidi, MD, FRCPC; Ali M Alhomaidan, PhD; Ahmed H Aljedai, PharmD, MBA, BCPS, FCCP, FAST; Musaed Abdullah Alkholief, PhD; Mohammad A Alsenaidy, MSc, PhD; Aws Alshamsan, BPharm, RPh, PhD; Tore Kristian Kvien, MD, PhD Introduction: A meeting was organized by the Generics and Biosimilars […]


Biosimilar development and regulation in Japan

Abstract: In Japan, biosimilars guidelines following the principles of the EU framework were established by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in March 2009. The guidelines cover the manufacturing process, characterization of quality attributes, and clinical and non-clinical studies for biosimilars. In this paper, the requirements for regulatory approval of biosimilars in Japan are […]