Biosimilar Development

Demonstrating clinical comparability1

A robust and complex process ensuring structural and clinical comparability is used to demonstrate a biosimilar’s clinical comparability to the reference product.

Data on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, immunogenicity, safety profile, and efficacy are collected.

Adapted from: FDA. Biosimilar product regulatory review and approval. 2018.1

Replicating complex biologics2

Developing biosimilars has been made possible due to modern analytical advances in characterization and development of biologics1:

Accurate analytics allow assessment of critical quality attributes in the molecule that may impact clinical activity.  These methods contribute to building a fingerprint of quality attributes for the reference drug.

Graphic depicting biosimilar IL-6 monoclonal antibody
Graphic depicting biosimilar IL-6 monoclonal antibody
Graphic depicting biosimilar IL-6 monoclonal antibody

Developing Biosimilars3

Biosimilars are assessed for similarity to the reference medicine based upon3:

  • Structure
  • Biological activity
  • Efficacy
  • Safety profile
  • Immunogenicity profile
  • Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics

Indications already studied in a reference product can also be approved for the biosimilar of that product through a process called “extrapolation”1

A biosimilar must show no clinically meaningful differences from its reference biologic in terms of safety profile, purity, and potency4

Adapted from: Wolff-Holz, et al. 2018.

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References
  1. FDA. Biosimilar product regulatory review and approval. 2018. https://www.fda.gov/files/drugs/published/Biosimilar-Product-Regulatory-Review-and-Approval.pdf. Accessed November 2024.
  2. CFDA. Scientific considerations in demonstrating biosimilarity to a reference product: Guidance for industry. 2015. https://www.fda.gov/media/82647/download. Accessed October 2024
  3. Wolff-Holz E, Garcia Burgos J, Giuliani R, et al. Preparing for the incoming wave of biosimilars. ESMO Open. 2018;3(6):e000420.
  4. FDA. Biological product definitions. 2020. https://www.fda.gov/files/drugs/published/Biological-Product-Definitions.pdf. Accessed September 2024.
  5. Weise M, Kurki P, Wolff-Holz E, et al. Biosimilars: the science of extrapolation. Blood. 2014;124(22):3191-3196.