FDA approves first interchangeable biosimilar insulin product for treatment of diabetes
The US FDA has approved the first interchangeable biosimilar insulin product, indicated to improve glycaemic control in adults and paediatric patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus and in adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) is both biosimilar to, and interchangeable with its reference product Lantus (insulin glargine), a long-acting insulin analog. Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn) is the first interchangeable biosimilar product approved in the U.S. for the treatment of diabetes. Approval of these insulin products can provide patients with additional safe, high-quality and potentially cost-effective options for treating diabetes.
“This is a momentous day for people who rely daily on insulin for treatment of diabetes, as biosimilar and interchangeable biosimilar products have the potential to greatly reduce health care costs,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D.
An interchangeable biosimilar product may be substituted for the reference product without the intervention of the prescriber. The substitution may occur at the pharmacy, a practice commonly called “pharmacy-level substitution” — much like how generic drugs are substituted for brand name drugs, subject to state pharmacy laws, which vary by state. Biosimilars marketed in the U.S. typically have launched with initial list prices 15% to 35% lower than comparative list prices of the reference products.
“Access to affordable insulin is critical and long-acting insulin products, like insulin glargine, play an important role in the treatment of Types 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus,” said Peter Stein, M.D., director of the Office of New Drugs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
