Samsung Bioepis' Enbrel biosimilar candidate SB4 accepted for review by EMA

South Korea’s Samsung Bioepis says that the Marketing Authorization Application for its Enbrel (etanercept, from Amgen [Nasdaq: AMGN] and Pfizer [NYSE: PFE]) biosimilar candidate, SB4, has been validated and accepted for review by European Medicines Agency.

The acceptance of the MAA marks the first Enbrel biosimilar to advance into regulatory review in the European Union. The MAA is based on results from a Phase III clinical trial in patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

In Europe, Enbrel is indicated for the treatment of a number of rheumatic diseases, including moderate to severe RA, certain forms of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and plaque psoriasis. If authorized by the EMA, SB4 could be available for use in all of the same indications as Enbrel.