Novartis Grabs EU Approval for Biosim of Roche's Rituxan

June 19, 2017

Novartis has won European approval for a biosimilar of Roche's big-selling blood cancer treatment, Rituxan.

Novartis' Sandoz unit grabbed the approval from the European Commision for the lower-cost version, which will be known as Rixathon.

Rixathon is the fourth Sandoz biosimilar approved in Europe. Novartis plans to file for approval of its version of Rituxan in the United States later this year.

In late February, South Korea-based Celltrion announced that the European Commission granted marketing authorization to its blood cancer treatment, Truxima, also a biosimiliar to Roche’s Rituxan. 

Read the Reuters coverage