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Application for pegfilgrastim biosimilar withdrawn


 

Vials of drug

Mylan S.A.S. has withdrawn the European marketing authorization application for its pegfilgrastim biosimilar Fulphila, according to the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

Fulphila was intended to be used to reduce the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia in adults receiving cytotoxic therapy for malignancy (except chronic myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes).

Fulphila was intended to be highly similar to Neulasta, a solution for injection that contains the active substance pegfilgrastim.

To support the application for Fulphila, Mylan S.A.S. presented results of studies designed to show that Fulphila is highly similar to Neulasta in terms of chemical structure, purity, mechanism, safety, effectiveness, and immunogenicity.

Mylan S.A.S withdrew the application for Fulphila after the CHMP had evaluated the initial documentation the company provided on the drug and formulated a list of questions. The CHMP was assessing the company’s responses to the questions when the application was withdrawn.

At the time of the withdrawal, the CHMP had some concerns and was of the provisional opinion that Fulphila could not have been approved.

One of the CHMP’s main concerns was the lack of a certificate of Good Manufacturing Practice for the manufacturing site of the product. Other concerns related to the description of the manufacturing process, the control of impurities in the active substance, and the sterilization of the final product.

In a letter to the European Medicines Agency, Mylan S.A.S said it withdrew the application for Fulphila because a Good Manufacturing Practice certificate for the manufacturing site could not be obtained in the time available.

The application withdrawal does not impact ongoing clinical trials of Fulphila, and there are no compassionate use programs for the drug.

Mylan S.A.S said it plans to resubmit the application for Fulphila as soon as possible. The company is working to ensure “inspection readiness” at the Fulphila manufacturing site by October 2017.

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