Teva UK launches Lonquex, a new long-acting G-CSF competitor to Amgen drugs

The local subsidiary of Israeli generics giant Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (NYSE: TEVA) has launched Lonquex (lipegfilgrastim) in the UK.

Lonquex, which is a competitor to Amgen’s (Nasdaq: AMGN) Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) and Neupogen (filgrastim) - the combined 2102 sales of which were $5.79 billion in 2013, is indicated for the reduction of the duration of neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia in adult patients treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy for malignancy (with the exception of chronic myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes).

Lonquex is a new long-acting recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) with the active ingredient lipegfilgrastim - a novel glycoPEGylated (PEG; polyethylene glycol) filgrastim molecule. It is intended as a once per cycle fixed dose, subcutaneous injection for neutrophil support in cancer patients receiving myelosuppresive chemotherapy (with the exception of chronic myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes).