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Biosimilar to Enbrel approved in Europe
Erelzi, a biosimilar to Enbrel, has been approved by the European Commission for all indications of the reference product, according to a company press release.
“Immunology is a priority for us and today’s approval of Erelzi, the second in this therapy area in as many weeks, clearly demonstrates our commitment to patients,” Carol Lynch, global head of Biopharmaceuticals at Sandoz, said in the release. “This can also be seen in the progress we are making in our immunology pipeline with two recent file acceptances in Europe. As part of the wider Novartis immunology portfolio, Erelzi further expands the offering to health care professionals and patients in Europe. Its availability is expected to result in more patients being treated with much-needed biologics.”
The European Commission approved Erelzi (etanercept, Sandoz) for rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis and pediatric plaque psoriasis. The drug can be used as a pre-filled syringe as well as an auto-injector pen.
Last year, Erelzi was approved in the United States.
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