Amgen, Allergan Seek Approval for Avastin Biosimilar

Amgen Inc. and Allergan plc have submitted paperwork for permission to sell a biosimilar version of cancer drug Avastin in Europe. Amgen in Thousand Oaks and Allergan in Dublin, Ireland said the submission to the European Medicines Agency includes clinical, pharmacology and toxicology data on the drug, called ABP 215. A Phase 3 clinical trial was conducted on patients with lung cancer. “Amgen is committed to delivering medicines to patients worldwide and ABP 215 has the potential to offer an additional high-quality therapeutic option for patients diagnosed with cancer,” Dr. Sean Harper, executive vice president of research and development at Amgen, said in a statement. Biosimilars are highly comparable to their original counterparts but cannot be exact replicas as they are made in living cells. The companies announced the application submission late Friday. Amgen shares closed Monday up $1.19 or nearly 1 percent to $145.29 on the Nasdaq.