Sandoz receieves EU approval for copycat Humira

Sandoz, a division of Swiss pharma titan Novartis (SIX: NOVN), announced on Friday that it had received marketing authorization from the European Commission for its biosimilar equivalent of AbbVie's Humira (adalimumab).

The copycat drug, known as Hyrimoz, is approved for all indications where the reference drug is also available, including rheumatoid arthritis, plaque psoriasis, Crohn's disease, uveitis and ulcerative colitis.

"We believe in making access happen for patients who are suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases. Earlier and expanded access to important, disease-modifying, biologic medicines can fundamentally change how patients manage their health," said Stefan Hendriks, global head of biopharmaceuticals at Sandoz.