FDA Approves Yuflyma

FDA Approves Yuflyma (adalimumab-aaty), a Biosimilar to Humira

JERSEY CITY, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE) –Celltrion USA today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Yuflyma® (adalimumab-aaty), a high-concentration (100mg/mL) and citrate-free formulation of Humira® (adalimumab) biosimilar. The FDA granted approval for the treatment of eight conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, and hidradenitis suppurativa.1

Yuflyma is Celltrion’s fifth biosimilar and second anti-TNF biosimilar approved for use in the United States. Yuflyma will offer patients pre-filled syringe and autoinjector administration options to meet different preferences and needs.

“Yuflyma offers patients a high-concentration and citrate-free formulation of adalimumab biosimilar, providing an alternative treatment option for patients. It represents a key treatment option in patient care and patient choice,” said Tom Nusbickel, Chief Commercial Officer at Celltrion USA. “As a leading global biopharmaceutical company, we are leveraging our unique heritage in biotechnology, supply chain excellence, and best-in-class sales capabilities to expand the availability of high-quality biosimilars for U.S. patients.”

“Currently, more than 80% of patients treated with Humira in the United States rely on a high-concentration and citrate-free formulation of this medication. The availability of a high-concentration and citrate-free formulation adalimumab biosimilar provides an important treatment option for patients with inflammatory diseases who benefit from this effective therapy,” said Professor Jonathan Kay of UMass Chan Medical School.

The approval of Yuflyma was based on a comprehensive data package of analytical, preclinical, and clinical studies, demonstrating that Yuflyma is comparable to the reference product in terms of efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity up to 24 weeks and one year following treatment.2,3,4

Yuflyma will be available to patients in the U.S. starting July 2023.

Celltrion is also seeking an interchangeability designation from the U.S. FDA for Yuflyma, which is tentatively expected Q4 2024.

About Yuflyma® (CT-P17, biosimilar adalimumab-aaty)1
Yuflyma was the world’s first proposed high-concentration, low-volume and citrate-free adalimumab biosimilar to receive European Commission approval in Europe. Yuflyma is FDA approved for the treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Yuflyma is a recombinant fully human anti–tumour necrosis factor α (anti-TNFα) monoclonal antibody. Following the launch of 40mg/0.4mL, in the U.S. in July 2023, Celltrion additionally plans to launch two different types of dosage forms 80mg/0.8mL, 20mg/0.2mL.

About Interchangeability

An interchangeable biosimilar product is a biosimilar that meets additional requirements outlined by law, and often require additional clinical studies, which demonstrate that there is no additional risk or reduced drug effectiveness if a patient switches back and forth between an interchangeable biosimilar and a reference product, as compared to receiving treatment with just the reference product. When a biosimilar receives an interchangeability designation by the FDA, that means the biosimilar product may be substituted for the reference product without the prescriber having to change the prescription. The substitution may occur at the pharmacy, subject to state pharmacy laws which vary by state, a practice commonly called “pharmacy-level substitution” — similar to how generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

SERIOUS INFECTIONS

Patients treated with Yuflyma are at increased risk for developing serious infections that may lead to hospitalization or death. Most patients who developed these infections were taking concomitant immunosuppressants such as methotrexate or corticosteroids.

Discontinue Yuflyma if a patient develops a serious infection or sepsis.

Reported infections include:

Carefully consider the risks and benefits of treatment with Yuflyma prior to initiating therapy in patients with chronic or recurrent infection.

Monitor patients closely for the development of signs and symptoms of infection during and after treatment with Yuflyma, including the possible development of TB in patients who tested negative for latent TB infection prior to initiating therapy.

MALIGNANCY

Lymphoma and other malignancies, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescent patients treated with TNF blockers, including adalimumab products. Postmarketing cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL), a rare type of T-cell lymphoma, have been reported in patients treated with TNF blockers, including adalimumab products. These cases have had a very aggressive disease course and have been fatal. The majority of reported TNF blocker cases have occurred in patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis and the majority were in adolescent and young adult males. Almost all of these patients had received treatment with azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine concomitantly with a TNF blocker at or prior to diagnosis. It is uncertain whether the occurrence of HSTCL is related to use of a TNF blocker or a TNF blocker in combination with these other immunosuppressants.

HYPERSENSITIVITY

HEPATITIS B VIRUS REACTIVATION

NEUROLOGIC REACTIONS

HEMATOLOGIC REACTIONS

HEART FAILURE

AUTOIMMUNITY

IMMUNIZATIONS

ADVERSE REACTIONS

INDICATIONS

Yuflyma is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker indicated for:

Limitations of Use: Effectiveness has not been established in patients who have lost response to or were intolerant to TNF blockers

About Celltrion Healthcare

Celltrion Healthcare is committed to delivering innovative and affordable medications to promote patients’ access to advanced therapies. Its products are manufactured at state-of-the-art mammalian cell culture facilities, designed and built to comply with the US FDA Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and the EU GMP guidelines. Celltrion Healthcare endeavors to offer high-quality, cost-effective solutions through an extensive global network that spans more than 110 different countries. For more information, please visit: https://www.celltrionhealthcare.com/en-us.

About Celltrion USA

Celltrion USA is Celltrion Healthcare’s U.S. subsidiary established in 2018. Headquartered in New Jersey, Celltrion USA is committed to expanding access to innovative biologics to improve care for U.S. patients. Celltrion currently has five biosimilars approved by the U.S. FDA: Inflectra® (infliximab-dyyb), Truxima® (rituximab-abbs), Herzuma® (trastuzumab-pkrb), Vegzelma® (bevacizumab-adcd), and Yuflyma®(adalimumab-aaty). Celltrion USA will continue to leverage Celltrion Healthcare’s unique heritage in biotechnology, supply chain excellence, and best-in-class sales capabilities to improve access to high-quality biopharmaceuticals for U.S. patients.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

Certain information set forth in this press release contains statements related to our future business and financial performance and future events or developments involving Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare that may constitute forward-looking statements, under pertinent securities laws.

These statements may be identified by words such as “prepares”, “hopes to”, “upcoming”, ”plans to”, “aims to”, “to be launched”, “is preparing, “once gained”, “could”, “with the aim of”, “may”, “once identified”, “will”, “working towards”, “is due”, “become available”, “has potential to”, the negative of these words or such other variations thereon or comparable terminology.

In addition, our representatives may make oral forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare’s management, of which many are beyond its control.

Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand management’s beliefs and opinions in respect of the future so that they may use such beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them.

Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Such Risks and uncertainties may include, among other things, uncertainties regarding the launch timing and commercial success of Celltrion in the United States; the uncertainties inherent in supply chain, manufacturing, research and development, and the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data as it relates to Celltrion products; intellectual property and/or litigation/settlement implications; decisions by the FDA impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety, promotion, and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of Celltrion products; and uncertainties regarding access challenges for our biosimilar products where our product may not receive appropriate formulary access or remains in a disadvantaged position relative to competitive products; and competitive developments. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Celltrion’s Annual Report.

Although forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are based upon what management of Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Celltrion/Celltrion Healthcare undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Trademarks

Humira is a registered trademark of AbbVie.

Yuflyma® is a registered trademark of Celltrion, Inc., used under license.

References

1 Yuflyma US prescribing information (2023)
2 Yu K et al., Pharmacokinetic Equivalence of CT‐P17 to High‐Concentration (100 mg/mL) Reference Adalimumab: A Randomized Phase I Study in Healthy Subjects. Clin Transl Sci. 2021;14:1280-91.
3 Kay J et al., Efficacy and safety of biosimilar CT-P17 versus reference adalimumab in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis: 24-week results from a randomized study. Arthritis Res Ther. 2021;23(1):51.
4 Furst D et al., Efficacy and safety of switching from reference adalimumab to CT-P17 (100 mg/ml): 52-week randomised study in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology. 2022;61(3):1385-95.

Source: Celltrion USA

Posted: May 2023

Yuflyma (adalimumab-aaty) FDA Approval History

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