Samsung Bioepis and Biogen Announce FDA Filing Acceptance of SB11, A Proposed Biosimilar Referencing Lucentis® (ranibizumab)
INCHEON, South Korea and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. and Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Biologics License Application for SB11, a proposed biosimilar referencing Lucentis®1 (ranibizumab). Ranibizumab is an anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) therapy for retinal vascular disorders, which are a leading cause of blindness in the United States.
Biosimilars are products that have been demonstrated to be similar in efficacy and safety to the originator’s reference product, with the advantage that they offer cost savings and promote sustainable access to therapies. Savings in the United States over the next five years as a result of biosimilars are projected to exceed $100 billion.3
“The FDA filing acceptance for SB11 brings us a step closer to our goal of being able to offer affordable treatment options for people with retinal vascular disorders,” said Hee Kyung Kim, Senior Vice President and Clinical Sciences Division and Regulatory Affairs Team Leader, at Samsung Bioepis. “If approved, SB11 will be a valuable treatment option for people with retinal vascular disorders, potentially helping millions of people in the U.S.”
“We are encouraged by the FDA’s filing acceptance of SB11, a key milestone in the process for providing a new potential treatment option for patients in the United States with retinal vascular disorders,” said Ian Henshaw, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Biosimilars at Biogen. “Our biosimilar portfolio aims to ensure sustainability of healthcare systems by offering broader patient access to effective and more affordable treatment options.”
In October 2020 the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for SB11 was accepted for review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). If approved, SB11 will add to the biosimilars portfolio developed by Samsung Bioepis and commercialized by Biogen, including three widely prescribed anti-TNF biosimilars in Europe; BENEPALI™, IMRALDI™ and FLIXABI™.
Samsung Bioepis announced in November 2019 that it entered into a new commercialization agreement with Biogen for two ophthalmology biosimilar candidates, SB11 (ranibizumab) and SB15 (aflibercept), in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia.
About Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd.
Established in 2012, Samsung Bioepis is a biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing healthcare that is accessible to everyone. Through innovations in product development and a firm commitment to quality, Samsung Bioepis aims to become the world's leading biopharmaceutical company. Samsung Bioepis continues to advance a broad pipeline of biosimilar candidates that cover a spectrum of therapeutic areas, including immunology, oncology, ophthalmology and hematology. Samsung Bioepis is a joint venture between Samsung BioLogics and Biogen. For more information, please visit: and follow us on social media – , .
About Biogen
At Biogen, our mission is clear: we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the world’s first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Kenneth Murray and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp. Today Biogen has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics and is focused on advancing research programs in multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunology, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, neuromuscular disorders, movement disorders, ophthalmology, immunology, neurocognitive disorders, acute neurology and pain.
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Safe Harbor
This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, relating to the potential benefits, safety and efficacy of SB11; the timing and status of current and future regulatory filings; risks and uncertainties associated with drug development and commercialization, including SB11; the potential of Biogen’s commercial business and pipeline programs, including BENEPALI™, IMRALDI™, FLIXABI™ and SB11; the anticipated benefits and potential of Biogen’s collaboration arrangements with Samsung Bioepis; Biogen’s strategy and plans; and potential cost healthcare savings related to biosimilars. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by words such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “possible,” “will,” “would” and other words and terms of similar meaning. Drug development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk, and only a small number of research and development programs result in commercialization of a product. Results in early stage clinical trials may not be indicative of full results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place undue reliance on these statements or the scientific data presented.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements, including without limitation, actual timing and content of submissions to and decisions made by the regulatory authorities regarding SB11; regulatory submissions may take longer or be more difficult to complete than expected; regulatory authorities may require additional information or further studies, or may fail or refuse to approve or may delay approval of SB11; risks of unexpected costs or delays or other unexpected hurdles; uncertainty of success in the development and potential commercialization of SB11, which may be impacted by, among other things, the level of preparedness of healthcare providers to treat patients, difficulties in obtaining or changes in the availability of reimbursement for SB11 and other unexpected difficulties or hurdles; the occurrence of adverse safety events; unexpected concerns that may arise from additional data or analysis; failure to protect and enforce data, intellectual property and other proprietary rights and uncertainties relating to intellectual property claims and challenges; risks of legal actions, regulatory scrutiny or other challenges to biosimilars; the direct and indirect impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Biogen’s business, results of operations and financial condition; product liability claims; and third party collaboration risks. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from Biogen’s expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement as well as the risk factors identified in Biogen’s most recent annual or quarterly report and in other reports Biogen has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements are based on Biogen’s current beliefs and expectations and speak only as of the date of this news release. Biogen does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
References:
1Lucentis is a registered trademark of Genentech, Inc.
2IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. Biosimilars in the United States 2020–2024 Competition, Savings, and Sustainability Institute Report, Sep 29, 2020. Available at:
| MEDIA CONTACT SAMSUNG BIOEPIS: Anna Nayun Kim 4 | |
| MEDIA CONTACT BIOGEN: David Caouette 5 | INVESTOR CONTACT BIOGEN: Joe Mara |
