Biogen Inc. and Samsung Bioepis Co., Ltd. has announced that BYOOVIZ™ (ranibizumab-nuna), a biosimilar of LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab) has been launched in the U.S. and will be commercially available on July 1, 2022. The list price will be $1,130 per injection, which is 40% lower than the current list price of LUCENTIS.
The FDA approved BYOOVIZ in September 2021 for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), macular edema following retinal vaein occlusion, and myopic choroidal neovascularization.
Neovascular (wet) AMD, although less common than dry AMD, is responsible for the majority of the severe vision loss or blindness associated with AMD. Anti-VEGF therapies have become a standard of care treatment for wet AMD. Biosimilars, which are biologics with similar efficacy and comparable safety to reference biologics, have the potential to alleviate the financial burden associated with current anti-VEGF therapies.
“The launch of BYOOVIZ in the U.S. marks an important moment for patients, healthcare providers, payers, and the entire healthcare system. Patients [with] retinal vascular disorders now have a more affordable treatment option,” said Ian Henshaw, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Biosimilars at Biogen.
BYOOVIZ is the first biosimilar launch in the U.S. under the Biogen and Samsung Bioepis’ partnership. In addition to the U.S., BYOOVIZ was also approved as the first ophthalmology biosimilar in Europe (2021), the United Kingdom (2021), and Canada (2022).
SOURCE: Press Release