FDA approved Samsung Bioepis’s Renflexis® (SB2, infliximab-abda) on Friday, April 21, 2017.  Renflexis® is the fifth biosimilar approved by the FDA and the second infliximab biosimilar to Janssen’s Remicade®.  Infliximab is an Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor (Anti-TNF) monoclonal antibody approved in the U.S. for treating rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and

On March 31, 2017, Celltrion, Inc. (“Celltrion”) filed three new petition for inter partes review (“IPR”) of two additional patents related to Genentech and Biogen’s Rituxan® (rituximab).  Two of the petitions challenge claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,682,612 (“the ’612 patent”) and the other seeks review of all nine claims of U.S. Patent No.8,206,711 (“the

Pfizer, Inc. (“Pfizer”) filed a new petition with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) on March 24, 2017, for inter partes review (“IPR”) of U.S. Patent No. 7,820,161 (“the ’161 patent”) related to Biogen’s and Genentech’s Rituxan® (rituximab).  The challenged claims of the ’161 patent are directed to a method for treating rheumatoid arthritis

Amgen’s Amgevita, an adalimumab biosimilar to AbbVie’s Humira®, received approval from the European Commission on March 23, 2017.  Adalimumab is a TNF (tumor necrosis factor) inhibitor that binds to TNF-alpha (TNF-α) preventing it from activating TNF receptors, which cause the inflammatory reactions associated with autoimmune diseases.

Amgevita received approval in all available indications, including the

On March 21, 2017, Celltrion, Inc. (“Celltrion”) filed two new petitions for inter partes review (“IPR”) of U.S. Patent Nos. 7,846,441 (“the ’441 patent”) and 7,892,549 (“the ’549 patent”). Three days later, on March 24, 2017, Celltrion filed two additional IPR petitions for U.S. Patent Nos. 6,626,196 (“the ‘196 patent”) and 7,371,379 (“the ‘379 patent”).  

Celltrion, Inc. (“Celltrion”) filed three new petitions with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) on March 15, 2017 for inter partes review (“IPR”) of Biogen’s U.S. Patent Nos. 8,329,172 (“the ’172 patent”), 8,557,244 (“the ’244 patent”), and 9,296,821 (“the ’821 patent”) related to rituximab.

Rituximab is an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment

Hospira, Inc. (“Hospira”) filed a petition with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) on September 16, 2016 for inter partes review (“IPR”) of U.S. Patent No. 7,807,799 (“the ’799 patent”) related to Genentech’s Herceptin® (trastuzumab).  On March 15, 2017, the PTAB issued a decision instituting review of claims 1–3 and 5–11 of the

Samsung Bioepsis UK Limited (“Samsung”), Biogen Idec Limited (“Biogen”), and Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologic Company Limited (“Fujifilm Biologics”) have prevailed against two of AbbVie’s patents for Humira® in the UK.

On March 3, 2017, Justice Henry Carr of the UK High Court of Justice issued a decision declaring that administration of 40mg of adalimumab once