On January 28, 2021, Bio-Thera Solutions, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company based in China, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted its Biologics License Application (BLA) for BAT1706, a proposed biosimilar to bevacizumab, referencing Genentech’s Avastin®, but excluding indications under orphan drug exclusivity protection. The FDA has set November 27, 2021,
FDA’s New Draft Guidance Regarding Biosimilarity and Interchangeability
On November 20, 2020, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (“FDA”) released a Q&A-format draft guidance to address four questions regarding the submission of biologics license applications (BLAs) and labeling for interchangeable biosimilar products. 85 FR 74345 (“Draft Guidance”). The Q&As in the Draft Guidance will be finalized by adding them as a revision to…
FDA Accepts Review of Samsung Bioepis and Biogen’s Ranibizumab Biosimilar
On November 18, 2020, companies Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. and Biogen Inc. announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) accepted for review the Biologics License Application for SB11, a proposed biosimilar referencing Genentech, Inc. product Lucentis® (ranibizumab). Ranibizumab is an anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) therapy for retinal vascular disorders, which are…
The PTAB Denies Institution of Two IPRs Involving a Patent Directed to the Treatment of Hemophilia B
The PTAB recently denied institution of two IPRs filed by CSL Behring LLC, CSL Behring GMBH, and CSL Behring Recombinant Facility AG (collectively “CSL”) targeting U.S. Patent No. 9,623,091 (“the ʼ091 patent”) owned by Bioverativ Therapetutics, Inc. (“Bioverativ”). More specifically, on January 6, 2019, the PTAB denied institution of IPR2018-01313 (“the ʼ313 IPR”), and on…
Litigation Spotlight Update: Epogen® Litigation Status in Face of Retacrit Regulatory Approval
As we recently covered, May 15, 2018, saw the FDA granting approval to Hospira (now a Pfizer subsidiary) for its Retacrit injection, a biosimilar to Amgen’s Epogen®. The approval, based on a Biologics License Application dated December 16, 2014, came after Hospira resubmitted its application twice after receiving Complete Response Letters from the FDA,…
District Court Grants Genentech’s Motions to Dismiss Celltrion’s Declaratory Judgment Actions in Herceptin® and Rituxan®-Related Suits
As we previously reported here and here, Celltrion filed suit against Genentech seeking declaratory judgment that a number of patents relating to Herceptin® (trastuzumab) and Rituxan® (rituximab) are non-infringed, invalid, and/or unenforceable. In response, Genentech filed a motion to dismiss in both cases arguing that the case was statutorily barred under the BPCIA. On May…
Final Judgment Entered in Amgen v. Coherus Neulasta Litigation
Last week, on April 18, 2018, Judge Stark in the District of Delaware entered the Final Judgment and Order dismissing the patent infringement case brought by Amgen Inc. and Amgen Manufacturing, Limited (collectively “Amgen”) against Coherus Biosciences, Inc. (“Coherus”). Judge Stark previously issued a Memorandum Order on March 26, 2018, adopting Magistrate Judge Burke’s Report…
A Rare Successful Challenge of a Patent for a Method of Manufacturing Biologic Drugs
Biologic drugs are large molecules, such as therapeutic proteins, DNA vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and fusion proteins, that are typically derived from living cells and used in the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of disease. Most biologics are produced by genetically engineering living cells to express the therapeutic proteins rather than through traditional chemical synthesis. As proteins…
Genentech’s Carter ’213 Patent Asserted and Challenged
In October, we reported on a growing number of IPR challenges to Genentech’s U.S. Patent No. 6,407,213 (“the ʼ213 patent”) to Carter. The ’213 patent, “Method for making humanized antibodies,” which Genentech has stated in SEC filings covers technology used in developing the breast cancer drug Herceptin® (trastuzumab), has since been asserted or is otherwise…
Sanofi Files Suit Against Merck Sharp & Dohme Over Second NDA for Insulin Glargine Biologic: A Look at the Differences in Biosimilar Approval Pathways
On August 8, 2017, Sanofi-Aventis (“Sanofi”) filed a patent infringement suit in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against Merck Sharp & Dohme (“Merck”) for infringement of U.S Patent Nos. 7,476,652 and 7,713,930. The suit relates to Merck’s insulin glargine vial drug product, a proposed follow-on biologic of Sanofi’s Lantus.…