Sandoz announces new Phase I data showing proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim matches reference medicine

HOLZKIRCHEN, Germany, Dec. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandoz, a division of Novartis and the global leader in biosimilars, today announced data demonstrating the pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), safety and immunogenicity of proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim as compared to the reference biologic, Neulasta^®*¹_. The Phase I study, conducted in healthy volunteers, confirmed that Sandoz biosimilar pegfilgrastim matches the reference biologic in terms of PK, PD, safety and immunogenicity profiles¹. The data were presented during the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

"At Sandoz, we are committed to developing high-quality biosimilar and generic medicines that provide the oncology community with treatment options to help manage their patients," said Mark Levick, MD PhD, Global Head of Development, Biopharmaceuticals, Sandoz, "And it starts with following the science. These findings add to the totality of evidence supporting our proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim."

Sandoz biosimilar pegfilgrastim is currently under review by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for use in the same indication as the reference biologic. Pegfilgrastim is a long-acting formulation of filgrastim (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor [G-CSF])².

About the study
Study participants were randomized to receive a single 6 mg subcutaneous injection of biosimilar pegfilgrastim or reference medicine on Day 0¹_. After dosing, study participants underwent a 4-week assessment period followed by a 8-week washout period before crossing over to receive the other medicine, and were assessed for a further 4-weeks¹_.

The results demonstrated that Sandoz proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim matched the reference medicine in the PK and PD comparisons as primary endpoints, in terms of absolute neutrophil count (maximum effect attributed to study medication) (95% CI: [0.97, 1.02]) and maximum serum concentration of study medication after administration (90% CI: [1.03, 1.19])¹_. Secondary endpoints of safety and immunogenicity were comparable between both groups¹_.

Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "potential," "can," "will," "plan," "expect," "anticipate," "look forward," "believe," "committed," "investigational," "pipeline," "launch," or similar terms, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential marketing approvals, new indications or labeling for the investigational or approved generic or biosimilar products described in this press release, or regarding potential future revenues from such products. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. There can be no guarantee that the investigational or approved products described in this press release will be submitted or approved for sale or for any additional indications or labeling in any market, or at any particular time. Neither can there be any guarantee that, if approved, such generic or biosimilar products will be approved for all indications included in the reference product's label. Nor can there be any guarantee that such products will be commercially successful in the future. In particular, our expectations regarding such products could be affected by, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including clinical trial results and additional analysis of existing clinical data; regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the particular prescribing preferences of physicians and patients; competition in general, including potential approval of additional generic or biosimilar versions of such products; global trends toward health care cost containment, including government, payor and general public pricing and reimbursement pressures; litigation outcomes, including intellectual property disputes or other legal efforts to prevent or limit Sandoz from selling its products; general economic and industry conditions, including the effects of the persistently weak economic and financial environment in many countries; safety, quality or manufacturing issues, and other risks and factors referred to in Novartis AG's current Form 20-F on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Novartis is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Sandoz
Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. As a division of the Novartis Group, our purpose is to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives. We contribute to society's ability to support growing healthcare needs by pioneering novel approaches to help people around the world access high-quality medicine. Our portfolio of approximately 1000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, accounted for 2016 sales of USD 10.1 billion. In 2016, our products reached well over 500 million patients and we aspire to reach one billion. Sandoz is headquartered in Holzkirchen, in Germany's Greater Munich area.

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*Neulasta^® is a registered trademark of Amgen Inc.

References

1. Nakov, R. et al. Proposed biosimilar pegfilgrastim LA-EP2006 shows similarity in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to reference pegfilgrastim in healthy subjects. Poster session 3. 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
2. European Medicines Agency. Neulasta: EPAR – Product Information. Available at: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/EPAR_-_Product_Information/human/000420/WC500025945.pdf, Last Accessed: November 2017.

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