Partners STADA and Alvotech announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use within the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion for Uzpruvo, a biosimilar candidate to Stelara®.
- CHMP positive opinion in the European Economic Area for first biosimilar to Stelara, a biologic therapy within gastroenterology, dermatology and rheumatology
- Positive CHMP opinion for Uzpruvo biosimilar is based on comprehensive package comprising analytical, non-clinical and clinical similarity data, including AVT04-GL-301 study for pharmacokinetic similarity in healthy subjects and confirmatory comparative efficacy and safety clinical trial in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis
- The market entry of an approved biosimilar into the approximately €2.5 billion EU ustekinumab market could significantly expand patient access via competition
BAD VILBEL, Germany and REYKJAVIK, Iceland, Nov. 10, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Partners STADA and Alvotech today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) within the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion for Uzpruvo (AVT04), a biosimilar candidate to Stelara® (ustekinumab).
The positive CHMP opinion for Uzpruvo marks the first time that the EMA has proposed authorizing a biosimilar to the Stelara reference product. A marketing authorization with the indications Crohn’s disease, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis would be valid across all European Union (EU) member states, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Under a strategic partnership begun in 2019, Alvotech is primarily responsible for developing and manufacturing the AVT04 ustekinumab biosimilar. STADA holds commercial rights within Europe, where the company already markets six approved biosimilars, including in gastrointestinal, dermatology and rheumatology indications.
In February 2023, the partners announced that the EMA had accepted their marketing authorization application for AVT04, based on a comprehensive package of analytical and clinical data. This included data from the AVT04-GL-301 confirmatory clinical, safety and efficacy study that met its primary endpoint, with results demonstrating therapeutic equivalence between AVT04 and Stelara in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis.
STADA’s Global Specialty Head, Bryan Kim, commented: “This positive CHMP opinion puts STADA and Alvotech in prime position to improve patient access in the ustekinumab and interleukin inhibitor markets. As a pioneer in driving biosimilar competition, STADA looks forward to offering Europe’s gastroenterologists, dermatologists and rheumatologists a valuable and cost-effective treatment option.”
Alvotech Chief Scientific Officer Joseph McClellan stated: “Having already partnered with STADA to bring a high-concentration adalimumab biosimilar to multiple European markets, Alvotech looks forward to increasing patient access to therapies for inflammatory conditions with our ustekinumab biosimilar.”
Ustekinumab is a human IgG1κ monoclonal antibody (mAb). AVT04 was designed using the Sp2/0 host cell line and is manufactured using a perfusion process, like the reference product Stelara. Ustekinumab selectively targets the p40 protein, a component common to both IL-12 and IL-23 cytokines that play crucial roles in treating immune-mediated diseases like Crohn’s disease, psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
With around 95,000 patients already using ustekinumab in the top-4 EU markets plus the UK, Stelara ranks among Europe’s top-10 medicine brands by value with annual sales in excess of €2.5 billion. Biosimilar competition upon expiry of EU exclusivity rights for Stelara offers a significant opportunity to improve patient access at the same, or even lower, costs to European healthcare systems.
About STADA Arzneimittel AG
STADA Arzneimittel AG is headquartered in Bad Vilbel, Germany. The company focuses on a three-pillar strategy consisting of consumer healthcare products, generics and specialty pharma. Worldwide, STADA Arzneimittel AG sells its products in approximately 120 countries. In financial year 2022, STADA achieved group sales of EUR 3,797.2 million and reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of EUR 884.7 million. As of 31 December 2022, STADA employed 13,183 people worldwide.
About Alvotech
Alvotech is a biotech company, founded by Robert Wessman, focused solely on the development and manufacture of biosimilar medicines for patients worldwide. Alvotech seeks to be a global leader in the biosimilar space by delivering high-quality, cost-effective products, and services, enabled by a fully integrated approach and broad in-house capabilities. Alvotech’s current pipeline contains eight biosimilar candidates aimed at treating autoimmune disorders, eye disorders, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and cancer. Alvotech has formed a network of strategic commercial partnerships to provide global reach and leverage local expertise in markets that include the United States, Europe, Japan, China, and other Asian countries and large parts of South America, Africa and the Middle East. Alvotech’s commercial partners include Teva Pharmaceuticals, a US affiliate of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (US), STADA Arzneimittel AG (EU), Fuji Pharma Co., Ltd (Japan), Advanz Pharma (EEA), Cipla/Cipla Gulf/Cipla Med Pro (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa/Africa), JAMP Pharma Corporation (Canada), Yangtze River Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (China), DKSH (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan), YAS Holding LLC (Middle East and North Africa), Abdi Ibrahim (Turkey), Kamada Ltd. (Israel), Mega Labs, Stein, Libbs, Tuteur and Saval (Latin America) and Lotus Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and South Korea). Each commercial partnership covers a unique set of product(s) and territories. Except as specifically set forth therein, Alvotech disclaims responsibility for the content of periodic filings, disclosures and other reports made available by its partners. For more information, please visit www.alvotech.com. None of the information on the Alvotech website shall be deemed part of this press release.
Forward Looking Statements
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Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or the future financial operating performance of Alvotech and may include, for example, Alvotech’s expectations regarding competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities including pipeline product development, future plans and intentions, results, level of activities, performance, goals or achievements or other future events, regulatory review and interactions, the success of its commercial partnerships, including its partnership with STADA, potential milestone and royalty payments, the potential approval and commercial launch of its product candidates, the timing of regulatory approvals and market launches, including in Europe, and the estimated size of the total addressable market of Alvotech’s pipeline products, and the commercial success of AVT04, in Europe and other parts of the world, Alvotech’s ability to improve global access to affordable biologics, and the effect of biosimilars on inflationary pressures for healthcare systems. 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Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (1) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Alvotech or others following the business combination between Alvotech Holdings S.A., Oaktree Acquisition Corp. 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Alvotech Investor Relations and Global Communications:
Benedikt Stefansson, Senior Director
E-Mail: alvotech.ir@alvotech.com
Web: https://investors.alvotech.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alvotechpr/
