Regulatory considerations for generic or biosimilar low molecular weight heparins. 2012

Alfredo García-Arieta, and Antonio Blázquez
Division de Farmacologia y Evaluacion Clinica, Subdirección General de Medicamentos de Uso Humano, Agencia Española de Medicamentos y Productos Sanitarios, C/ Campezo 1. Edificio 8, Planta 2 Oeste, E-28022 Madrid, Spain.

The aim of the present paper is to address the legal aspects, technical requirements and possible conditions of use associated to low molecular weight heparin generics and biosimilars that are arriving to the market in United States and the European Union, respectively. To this end the concept of "similar biological medicinal product" that was coined in 2003 by the pharmaceutical legislation of the European Union is compared to the concept of generic in the United States and the concept of generic in the European Union. This different legal basis determines directly the technical requirements to obtain a marketing authorisation. Therefore, the chemical/biological, non-clinical and clinical requirements to demonstrate therapeutic equivalence are different in these two Regulatory Authorities, FDA and EMA. Consequently, the possible conditions of use are different. In the United States the products approved as generics by the FDA are considered interchangeable to the Reference Listed Drug. In contrast, the EMA legislation only deals with the approvability or prescribability of the medicines and it is a national / regional decision of the member States to consider these biosimilar products as interchangeable or not.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D005062 European Union An economic union with the principal objectives of free movement of goods, capital, and labor. The constituent countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden. (https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries accessed 12/31/2020) Common Market,Euratom,European Atomic Energy Community,European Coal and Steel Community,European Common Market,European Community,European Economic Community,Community, European Economic,EEC,Economic Community, European,Common Market, European,Common Markets,Common Markets, European,Communities, European,Communities, European Economic,Community, European,Economic Communities, European,European Common Markets,European Communities,European Economic Communities,Market, Common,Market, European Common,Union, European
D006495 Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin fractions with a molecular weight usually between 4000 and 6000 kD. These low-molecular-weight fractions are effective antithrombotic agents. Their administration reduces the risk of hemorrhage, they have a longer half-life, and their platelet interactions are reduced in comparison to unfractionated heparin. They also provide an effective prophylaxis against postoperative major pulmonary embolism. LMWH,Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin,Low Molecular Weight Heparin,Heparin, Low Molecular Weight
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013810 Therapeutic Equivalency The relative equivalency in the efficacy of different modes of treatment of a disease, most often used to compare the efficacy of different pharmaceuticals to treat a given disease. Bioequivalence,Clinical Equivalency,Equivalency, Therapeutic,Generic Equivalency,Clinical Equivalencies,Equivalencies, Clinical,Equivalencies, Therapeutic,Equivalency, Clinical,Therapeutic Equivalencies,Bioequivalences,Equivalencies, Generic,Equivalency, Generic,Generic Equivalencies
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D014486 United States Food and Drug Administration An agency of the PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE concerned with the overall planning, promoting, and administering of programs pertaining to maintaining standards of quality of foods, drugs, therapeutic devices, etc. Food and Drug Administration (U.S.),USFDA,Food and Drug Administration,United States Food, Drug Administration
D016568 Drugs, Generic Drugs whose drug name is not protected by a trademark. They may be manufactured by several companies. Drugs, Nonproprietary,Generic Drug,Generic Drugs,Drug, Generic,Nonproprietary Drugs
D017277 Drug Approval Process that is gone through in order for a drug to receive approval by a government regulatory agency. This includes any required pre-clinical or clinical testing, review, submission, and evaluation of the applications and test results, and post-marketing surveillance of the drug. Drug Approval Process,New Drug Approval,Food and Drug Administration Drug Approval,Food and Drug Administration Drug Approval Process,New Drug Approval Process,Approval Process, Drug,Approval Processes, Drug,Approval, Drug,Approval, New Drug,Approvals, Drug,Approvals, New Drug,Drug Approval Processes,Drug Approval, New,Drug Approvals,Drug Approvals, New,New Drug Approvals,Process, Drug Approval,Processes, Drug Approval

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