7th European Biosimilars Congress May 15-16, 2017 Munich, Germany

Management of cGMP facility calls for a strict monitoring all factors including analytical strategies, formulation procedures, packaging etc. For biologic products establishing comparability and interchangeability is a big hurdle. For this purpose employment of suitable analytical approach, bioassay, protein analysis, potency testing, safety assurances are highly important. LC/MS analysis for biologic products, characterization of biologics, peptide mapping, Isoelectric Focusing and Capillary Isoelectric Focusing, SDS-PAGE, Thermal Analysis, Particulate Matter Analysis, Thermogravimetric Analysis are some methods commonly used for analysis of biologics and biosimilar products.

On average, facilities outsource 32% of their analytical testing/bioassays (up from 28%) meaning that close to one-third of analytical testing is estimated to be outsourced by the industry.

Competitions and/or success in the present pharma industry is determined by the winning patent strategy which mostly pertain to the generic market entry. Generic and branded drug manufacturers both the patent strategy proximally belongs to the Hatch-Waxman Act statutory scheme and ANDA litigations. The Hatch-Waxman Act enacted in 1984 with amendment in 2003 facilitated the entry of generics at an early stage-thereby finishing the battle of branded generic ANDA of blockbuster drugs. All the same the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation (BPCI) Act has maximized the branded-generic patent duel in the biologics realm by imposing a litigated framework on follow-on-biologics. On September 16, 2011 President Obama signed the American Invents Act(AIA) of 2011 indicating a further strategy evolution of patenting branded and generics.

An FDA analysis of drug prices from 1999 to 2004 found that the discount from generic competition was just 6% with one generic competitor, but jumps to 48% with two generic competitors, 56% with three, 61% with four and 67% with five generic producers in a market. Within 2 years of the expiration of the patent of the popular drug Zantac in 1997, generics of Zantac accounted 90% of the treatment’s total sales, and the price for patients was about 10% of its pre-generic price. European patents on biologic treatments began to expire in 2000, and in April 2006, Sandoz and Biopartners successfully received EMEA approval for the first European biogenerics, two products containing human growth hormone.

Biosimilars is a biologic medical product which is copy of an original product that is manufactured by a different company. Biosimilars are officially approved "innovative" versions of original  products, and can be manufactured when the original product's patent expires. Reference to the innovator product is an integral component of the approval. This session also finds place for all the biosimilar exhibitiors associated with the field of biosimilar and biologics.

2014 was a banner year for orphan drugs, which are drugs that treat "rare" diseases/disorders affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. A total of 41 new molecular entities (NMEs) and biologics (BLAs) were approved by the FDA in 2014 - 15 of those were approved in December alone (11 in final two weeks.)

With Europe that paved way to the uptake of biosimilars over a decade ago, the consequences of Brexit would be potentially harder on UK. Presently UK is no more bound to follow the guidelines of EMA. Also research grants from Innovative Medicines Initiative and Horizon 2020 would no more be available to UK. All the same, EMA has its headquarters in London, UK. The thus arising complications would definitely have certain consequences on the Biosimilars scenario in UK and EU.

This track discuses about the generic drugs impact on global biosimilar market , Cost and risk management, Adopting innovative mechanisms such as risk-sharing arrangement, European market for biosimilars.

A growing global market for biosimilars is gaining momentum in response to the expiration of patents for a number of key biologics and consumer demand to reduce treatment costs. Thus, according to Research and Markets, the global biosimilar market, valued at $2 billion in 2012 is projected to reach $19.4 billion by 2018.

This track includes Clinical trials on major diseases Risk management, and quality affairs, Case studies, and clinical models, Transgenic animals, Targeted cell line development, Clinical biosimilar tracks.docx PK/PD studies, Toxicological studies and Aspects of genotoxicity tests.Clinical trials are designed in stages I-IV so as to receive a clear picture of the drug candidate in respect to its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics parameters.

Research estimates that there are 280 Biosimilars in the pipeline, and clinical trials are increasing by 20% per year.Biologics also represent over 40 percent of the drugs in each of the preclinical, Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III trial stages.

The global biosimilars market is growing at an exponential rate. The CAGR from 2015 to 2020 is projected at over 22%. The biosimilars market is expected to be around $6.2 billion by 2020 from only $2.3 billion in 2015. By the end of this decade the biosimilars would surely occupy 27% of the total pharmaceutical market. Moreover, with the global rise in concern for more accessible-improved- cost effective healthcare, biosimilar drugs would be a more apt choice to the payers, end users, manufacturers over the costly reference biologics. Originator biologics are as costly as about $100,000 per year per patient. Biosimilars on the contrary can be offered at a 30-40% lower price than that of the reference product. However, with all the success stories and opportunities there also lies a sobering 50% failure rate in developing and obtaining license towards marketing of biosimilars.  The biosimilars market is categorized into mainly four zones – North America(USA and Canada); Europe(UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Rest of Europe); Aisa-Pacific( China, India, Japan, South Korea) and rest of the world ( LATAM and MENA). Key players of the biosimilars market include Amgen, Hospira, Teva, Sandoz International GmbH, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratory, Biocon, Roche, Celltrion, Catalent, Mylan and Merck. There are also certain other companies which are gaining importance in biosimilar de​velopment like LeanBio Pro-Spain, PPD-USA, SGS Life Sciences-UK, Therapeutic Proteins International-USA. The biosimilars development is mainly concentrated in the therapeutic domains of oncology, blood disorders, autoimmune disorders, endocrine disorders and infectious diseases. 

This session of the Biosimilars 2017 will look into the future and FDA initiatives that have already been announced to include enhanced tracking and follow-up of post marketing surveillance issues, planned improvements in AERS, and pilots of new post market drug-monitoring strategies and ADR related issues.Biosimilar guidelines for pharmacovigilance practice and pharmacoepidemiology are the points that shall be laid emphasis in this session.

U.S. average annual spending growth from 2002 to 2007 was 16% for biologics, compared with 3.7% for drugs. In same proportion pharmacovigilance for biosimilars has been comparatively more than other pharmaceutical products.

Entrepreneurs who are willing to put in hard work and invest in the field of biologics and biosimilars will find this meeting the best place to properly shape their drive for the new endeavours. Also this meeting will help them find the best experts who can make their investment fruitful and worthwhile.

Biologics are the Future of Medicine and by 2016 it is predicted that eight of the top 10 products on the market will be biologics. The Price of Brand Biologics Continues to Increase  and U.S. average annual spending growth from 2002 to 2007 was 16% for biologics, compared with 3.7% for drugs.The average daily cost of a brand name biologic product is approximately 22 times greater than a traditional drug. Biologics can cost as much as $10,000 to several hundred thousand dollars per year.

Biosimilars Market is experiencing a growth at an exponential rate. Presently around 700 biologics are making progress in the research pipelines of nearly 250 biopharma companies. Biosimilar insulins have already started revolutionizing the future drug development in the realm of diabetology. Biosimilars of Adalimumab, Etanercept, Rituximab, Peg-Filgrastim, Trastuzumab are expected to hit the market soon. Biosimilar of Humatrope, biosimilar of Eprex, biosimilar of Neupogen, biosimilar of Remicade have already been enjoying a greater market share in Europe than the reference product itself.. 

The proportion of different biosimilars that reached market are Low Molecular Weight Heparins 44%, Epoetins 19%, HGH 11%, G-CSFs 7%, Interferons 6%, Insulins 5%, Others 8%.