Sandoz files lawsuit against Amgen regarding etanercept biosimilar in the USA

14 April 2025

Swiss generic and biosimilar medicines firm Sandoz (SIX: SDZ) today announced it has filed an antitrust lawsuit in the USA against Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) for extending and entrenching the dominant market position of its blockbuster medicine, Enbrel (etanercept), first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1998.

Etanercept is a biologic medicine used to treat a range of disabling inflammatory diseases. Sandoz alleges that Amgen blocked competition from more cost-effective biosimilar competitors, including Sandoz etanercept biosimilar, Erelzi+ (etanercept-szzs), by unlawfully purchasing and using certain patent rights to entrench its position in the market. In 2024, Enbrel generated $3.3 billion in revenue in the USA.

Other Enbrel biosimilars approved in USA

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