March 30--Hospira on Monday launched Canada's first available biosimilar, a drug called Inflectra that treats rheumatoid arthritis among other conditions.
The biosimilar was the first approved by the country's regulatory body last year. Hospira already markets biosimilars in Europe and Australia and has a dozen in its U.S. pipeline, including Inflectra.
Biosimilars are essentially generic versions of drugs known as biologics, made from living cells. The injectable drugs treat complex diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. And because they're copycats, they are typically 20 to 30 percent cheaper than the biologic drugs they imitate.
Inflectra is an alternative to Remicade, a drug provided by Johnson Johnson's pharmaceutical subsidiary Janssen in Canada. Remicade had sales of $800 million in Canada last year.
The first Food and Drug Administration approval for a biosimilar in the U.S. came this month. Zarxio, made by Sandoz, helps prevent infections during chemotherapy and is considered an alternative to Amgen's Neupogen. The launch of the drug has been delayed due to a lawsuit Amgen brought against Sandoz alleging it didn't follow certain procedures. Over the next decade, for example, Zarxio is expected to save U.S. health consumers $5.7 billion.
ehirst@tribpub.com
