Hospira Launches J&J Biosimilar in Europe

Feb. 19, 2015


Hospira has announced that it has launched Inflectra (infliximab), a biosimilar to Johnson & Johnson/Merck’s Remicade, in major European markets.

Inflectra is approved for inflammatory indications including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, adult and pediatric Crohn's disease, adult and pediatric ulcerative colitis and plaque psoriasis.

Earlier this week, Johnson & Johnson announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a final rejection of the Remicade patent. If the ruling sticks, the patent rejection could open Remicade to biosimilar competition in the U.S. as early as next year.

Meanwhile, Hospira is at the forefront of the U.S. biologics race, having submitted a Biologics License Application to the U.S. FDA for Retacrit, a proposed biosimilar to Amgen's EPOGEN and Janssen's PROCRIT in December.

Read the press release