The Path Towards a Tailored Clinical Biosimilar Development.

Since the first approval of a biosimilar medicinal product in 2006, scientific understanding of the features and development of biosimilar medicines has accumulated. This review scrutinizes public information on development programs and the contribution of the clinical studies for biosimilar approval in the European Union (EU) and/or the United States (US) until November 2019. The retrospective evaluation of the programs that eventually obtained marketing authorization and/or licensure revealed that in 95% (36 out of 38) of all programs, the comparative clinical efficacy studies confirmed similarity.

A Phase 2, International, Multicenter, Open-label Clinical Trial of Subcutaneous Tbo-Filgrastim in Pediatric Patients With Solid Tumors Undergoing Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy.

This phase 2, multicenter, open-label trial investigated the safety and tolerability of tbo-filgrastim in pediatric patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. In total, 50 patients 1 month to below 16 years of age with solid tumors without bone marrow involvement were stratified into 3 age groups (2 infants, 30 children, 18 adolescents) and prophylactically administered tbo-filgrastim 5 µg/kg body weight once daily subcutaneously. The administration started after the last chemotherapy treatment in week 1 of the first cycle and continued until the expected neutrophil nadir had passed, and the neutrophil count had recovered to 2.

A pharmacokinetic study of lipegfilgrastim in children with Ewing family of tumors or rhabdomyosarcoma.

Purpose: Neutropenia is a common complication from chemotherapy, limiting optimal dosing and treatment. Lipegfilgrastim is a long-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor developed for the management of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. The objectives of this phase 1, multinational, open-label, single-arm study were to characterize the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of a single body weight-adjusted dose of lipegfilgrastim and to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of the drug in children with Ewing family of tumors or rhabdomyosarcoma treated with myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of lipegfilgrastim compared with placebo in patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy: post hoc analysis of elderly versus younger patients.

Purpose: Lipegfilgrastim, a glycoPEGylated recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), reduces neutropenia duration and febrile neutropenia (FN) incidence in patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. A phase 3 trial of lipegfilgrastim was conducted in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving cisplatin/etoposide (which produces mild-to-moderate myelosuppression). Because patients aged >65 years are at higher risk for FN versus younger patients, this post hoc analysis compared outcomes in elderly (>65 years) versus younger participants in this trial.

Safety and efficacy of Ovaleap® (recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone) for up to 3 cycles in infertile women using assisted reproductive technology: a phase 3 open-label follow-up to Main Study.

Background: Ovaleap® (follitropin alfa), a recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone intended for use in controlled ovarian stimulation in women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies (ART), showed therapeutic equivalence to Gonal-f® in a multinational, multicenter, randomized, controlled, assessor-blind phase 3 Main Study. The current study examined safety, including immunogenicity, and efficacy of Ovaleap® in an open-label, uncontrolled, follow-up treatment period of up to 2 additional treatment cycles in patients who did not become pregnant in the phase 3 Main Study.

Methods: Patients with negative biochemical or clinical pregnancy in the phase 3 Main Study, regardless of treatment group (ie, Ovaleap® or Gonal-f®), were eligible to participate.

Clinical safety of tbo-filgrastim, a short-acting human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor.

The recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) known as filgrastim (Tevagrastim(®), Ratiograstim(®), Biograstim(®)) in Europe (approved in 2008) and tbo-filgrastim (Granix(®)) in the USA (approved in 2012; Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petach Tikva, Israel) is indicated to reduce the duration of severe neutropenia in patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia. This article presents pooled clinical data for tbo-filgrastim compared with Neupogen(®) (Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) as well as tbo-filgrastim post-marketing safety data.

Randomized, active-controlled, comparative phase 3 efficacy and safety equivalence trial of Ovaleap® (recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone) in infertile women using assisted reproduction technology (ART).

Background: Pharmacokinetic studies with XM17 (Ovaleap®), a recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (r-hFSH, follitropin alfa), have demonstrated good safety and tolerability in healthy women whose endogenous FSH levels were down-regulated with a long agonist protocol. In these studies, Ovaleap® pharmacokinetics were dose-proportional and bioequivalent to the reference follitropin alfa product (Gonal-f®). The objective of the present study is to determine whether Ovaleap® is equivalent to Gonal-f® with respect to the number of oocytes retrieved in infertile but ovulatory women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) therapy.

Cardiovascular Morbidity and Pure Red Cell Aplasia Associated With Epoetin Theta Therapy in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Prospective, Noninterventional, Multicenter Cohort Study.

Purpose: The European Medicines Agency recommends limiting the hemoglobin (Hb) concentration to 10 to 12 g/dL in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) receiving erythropoiesis-stimulating agents such as epoetin theta. This postauthorization study assessed the incidence and intensity of cardiovascular events, including ischemic stroke, in patients receiving epoetin theta for anemia associated with CKD. A secondary end point was adverse drug reactions, including pure red cell aplasia.

Phase I, two-way, crossover study to demonstrate bioequivalence and to compare safety and tolerability of single-dose XM17 vs Gonal-f® in healthy women after follicle-stimulating hormone downregulation.

Background: XM17 is a recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (rhFSH) intended mainly for use in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation and the treatment of anovulation. The purpose of the current study was to establish bioequivalence, safety and tolerability of single 300-IU subcutaneous (sc) doses of XM17 to that of the reference follitropin alfa (Gonal-f(®)) in healthy young women.

Methods: This open-label, Phase I, single-dose, single-center, two-way crossover study was conducted from February to May 2009.

Phase 1 safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic study of single ascending doses of XM17 (recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone) in downregulated healthy women.

Background: XM17 is a recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (follitropin alfa) for stimulation of multifollicular development in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyper-stimulation during assisted reproductive therapy and for treatment of anovulation. Manufactured using Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with the human follicle-stimulating hormone gene, XM17 has an identical amino acid sequence to that of the human protein as well as to those of the other approved recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone products. Glycosylation patterns may differ slightly between products.

Phase III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study of lipegfilgrastim in patients with non-small cell lung cancer receiving myelosuppressive therapy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to demonstrate lipegfilgrastim superiority versus placebo in adults with non-small cell lung cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

Methods: This phase III, double-blind study randomized chemotherapy-naive patients to receive cisplatin and etoposide with either lipegfilgrastim 6 mg or placebo. Because of the placebo control, patients at individual high risk for febrile neutropenia (FN; ≥20%) were excluded.

Chemotherapy-associated treatment burden in breast cancer patients receiving lipegfilgrastim or pegfilgrastim: secondary efficacy data from a phase III study.

Purpose: Lipegfilgrastim is a once-per-cycle glycoPEGylated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Noninferiority of lipegfilgrastim versus pegfilgrastim was demonstrated in a phase III trial in chemotherapy (CTx)-naïve breast cancer patients. Secondary outcomes relating to treatment burden are reported here.

Phase II dose-finding study of balugrastim in breast cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

Balugrastim is a once-per-cycle, fixed-dose recombinant protein comprising human serum albumin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor under development for prevention of severe neutropenia in cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. This phase II, multicenter, active-controlled, dose-finding pilot study evaluated balugrastim safety and efficacy versus pegfilgrastim in breast cancer patients scheduled to receive myelosuppressive chemotherapy and investigated two doses with similar efficacy to pegfilgrastim for a subsequent phase III study. Patients received four cycles of doxorubicin/docetaxel chemotherapy and with each successive cycle were randomized sequentially to escalating doses of balugrastim [30 (n = 11), 40 (n = 21), or 50 mg (n = 20)] or a fixed dose of pegfilgrastim [6 mg (n = 26)] post-chemotherapy.

A randomized, double-blind, active control, multicenter, dose-finding study of lipegfilgrastim (XM22) in breast cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive therapy.

This dose-ranging study was conducted to identify the optimal fixed dose of lipegfilgrastim compared with pegfilgrastim 6.0 mg for the provision of neutrophil support during myelosuppressive chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer. A phase 2 study was conducted in which 208 chemotherapy-naive patients were randomized to receive lipegfilgrastim 3.

Lipegfilgrastim: pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics for body-weight-adjusted and 6 mg fixed doses in two randomized studies in healthy volunteers.

Objective: Two phase I, single-blind (subject blinded to treatment), randomized studies were conducted to assess the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerability of lipegfilgrastim compared with pegfilgrastim in healthy adult volunteers.

Methods: Study 1 consisted of a pilot safety phase (N = 8) during which subjects received a single body-weight-adjusted subcutaneous dose of lipegfilgrastim 25 µg/kg and a dose escalation phase (N = 45) wherein subjects received lipegfilgrastim 50 or 100 μg/kg or pegfilgrastim 100 μg/kg. Study 2 was a single-blind, fixed-dose study (N = 36) comparing subcutaneous lipegfilgrastim 6 mg and pegfilgrastim 6 mg.

Efficacy and safety of balugrastim compared with pegfilgrastim in patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Background: Recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) reduce the incidence and duration of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and febrile neutropenia when given as adjunct therapy to patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Balugrastim is a long-acting G-CSF composed of a genetic fusion between recombinant human serum albumin and G-CSF. We compared the efficacy and safety of balugrastim and pegfilgrastim, a long-acting pegylated recombinant G-CSF, in patients with breast cancer who were scheduled to receive chemotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of lipegfilgrastim versus pegfilgrastim: a randomized, multicenter, active-control phase 3 trial in patients with breast cancer receiving doxorubicin/docetaxel chemotherapy.

Background: Lipegfilgrastim is a novel glyco-pegylated granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in development for neutropenia prophylaxis in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. This phase III, double-blind, randomized, active-controlled, noninferiority trial compared the efficacy and safety of lipegfilgrastim versus pegfilgrastim in chemotherapy-naïve breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin/docetaxel chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients with high-risk stage II, III, or IV breast cancer and an absolute neutrophil count ≥1.

Epoetin Theta with a New Dosing Schedule in Anaemic Cancer Patients Receiving Nonplatinum-Based Chemotherapy: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) is used to treat symptomatic anaemia due to chemotherapy. A new r-HuEPO, Epoetin theta (Eporatio®), was investigated and compared to placebo in a randomised, double-blind clinical trial in adult cancer patients receiving nonplatinum-based chemotherapy. The primary efficacy endpoint was the responder rate (complete haemoglobin (Hb) response, i.

Epoetin Theta in Anaemic Cancer Patients Receiving Platinum-Based Chemotherapy: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Recombinant human erythropoietin (r-HuEPO) is used to treat symptomatic anaemia due to chemotherapy. A new r-HuEPO, Epoetin theta (Eporatio®), was investigated and compared to placebo and Epoetin beta in a randomised, double-blind clinical trial in adult cancer patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy, using a fixed weekly starting dose of 20,000 IU Epoetin theta. The primary efficacy endpoint was the responder rate (complete Hb response, Hb increase ≥ 2 g/dL).

Incidence of febrile neutropenia and myelotoxicity of chemotherapy: a meta-analysis of biosimilar G-CSF studies in breast cancer, lung cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Background: The aim of this meta-analysis of 3 clinical studies, conducted with breast cancer, lung cancer, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients, was to compare a new granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) biosimilar, XM02, with filgrastim in terms of its prophylactic effect on the development of febrile neutropenia (FN) during the first chemotherapy cycle in relation to the myelotoxic potency of the applied chemotherapy regimen.

Patients And Methods: Overall, 608 patients (363 under XM02 and 245 under filgrastim) were included in the meta-analysis. The majority of patients were allocated to the chemotherapy categories docetaxel-doxorubicin (45.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile of new biosimilar filgrastim XM02 equivalent to marketed filgrastim Neupogen: single-blind, randomized, crossover trial.

Objective: Filgrastim XM02 is a biosimilar non-glycosylated recombinant methionyl form of human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (r-MetHuG-CSF) expressed in Escherichia coli for subcutaneous and intravenous administration in the treatment of different forms of neutropenia and stem cell mobilization. This study was conducted to compare the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the new biosimilar filgrastim XM02 with the marketed filgrastim (Neupogen).

Methods: Two filgrastim doses (5 and 10 microg/kg) of the new biosimilar filgrastim XM02 and the marketed filgrastim were administered either as intravenous infusion or subcutaneous injection in four single-dose, crossover, randomized substudies, conducted in 36 subjects each.

Analysis of the precision and sensitivity to change of different approaches to assess cartilage loss by quantitative MRI in a longitudinal multicentre clinical trial in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Introduction: Cartilage thickness and volume loss measurements using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) are suggested to detect significant cartilage changes over short time intervals. We aimed to compare these two different approaches looking at the global knee and subregions, using data from an osteoarthritis (OA) multicentre randomised clinical trial.

Methods: Three hundred and fifty-five patients with symptomatic knee OA were recruited for a two-year, double-blind, randomised clinical trial evaluating the effect of 200 mg licofelone twice daily and 500 mg naproxen twice daily on cartilage loss, and 301 patients had baseline MRI.

6-thioguanine nucleotide-adapted azathioprine therapy does not lead to higher remission rates than standard therapy in chronic active crohn disease: results from a randomized, controlled, open trial.

Background: A prospective randomized trial in patients with Crohn disease studied whether 6-thioguanine nucleotide (6-TGN) concentration-adapted azathioprine (AZA) therapy is clinically superior to a standard dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day AZA.

Methods: After 2 weeks of standard therapy, patients (n = 71) were randomized into standard (n = 32) or adapted-dose (n = 25) groups; 14 patients dropped out before randomization.

Association of inosine triphosphatase 94C>A and thiopurine S-methyltransferase deficiency with adverse events and study drop-outs under azathioprine therapy in a prospective Crohn disease study.

Background: Azathioprine (aza) therapy is beneficial in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, but 10%-30% of patients cannot tolerate aza therapy because of adverse drug reactions. Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT) deficiency predisposes to myelotoxicity, but its association with other side effects is less clear. Inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) mutations are other pharmacogenetic polymorphisms possibly involved in thiopurine metabolism and tolerance.