Celltrion公司的抗体生物仿制药在韩国获得批准

2012年7月23日,韩国食品与药品管理局（KFDA）批准了韩国Celltrion公司申请的风湿病治疗药Remicade（英利昔单抗,infliximab）生物仿制药。抗体的生物仿制药除了印度Dr．Reddy公司在销售Reditux（利妥昔单抗,rituximab）之外,还没有其他国家批准过。通过发达国家的审查标准,被批准的抗体仿制药实属世界首例。     

我国生物仿制药发展现状与策略研究

随着生物药专利失效期到来所带来的成本降低、药物可及性增加及巨大市场空间等因素影响,各大企业对生物仿制药的开发表现出浓厚的兴趣,纷纷涉足这一领域,然而由于生物仿制药的特殊性,开发及产业化困难重重。基于以上背景,首先分析了国内外生物医药行业宏观经济环境、行业政策环境、法律监管环境等外部环境,然后对当前生物仿制药开发存在的关键性技术共性问题进行了阐述。在此基础上对国内外主要生物仿制药企业现状进行分析,提出了我国与国外生物仿制药方面存在的主要差距。在上述分析的基础上,利用SWOT工具进行战略分析,指出我国生物仿制药应该执行的SO战略为主,SW战略为辅的策略。最后提出了一些参考建议。     

生物仿制药现状与发展趋势分析

生物仿制药是指原研生物药物在专利保护到期后,其他企业利用已有的数据进行简化生产并被批准上市的、与原研药物在结构和质量上非常相似、具有相当的生物活性和生物等效性的生物制药产品。相比于化学药,生物药通常分子量大且结构复杂,因而生物药的仿制往往难度较大,是系统工程,涉及的靶点选择、工程菌的构建、培养基的筛选、大规模培养体系的建立、分离纯化体系的建立、药物后修饰等诸多环节均有较高的技术壁垒;加上生物仿制药在审批过程中不仅需要临床Ⅰ期的药效和药代动力学试验来证明生物等效性外,还需要临床Ⅲ期试验来证明生物仿制药大范围使用后的疗效、不良反应、药物间的相互作用等,因此生物仿制药的研发成本较化学仿制药高,研发周期和审批周期也相对较长。     

LC-MS对奥马珠单抗与其生物类似物CMAB007的分析与结构特征

哮喘是当今世界威胁公共健康的最主要的慢性肺部疾病,作为治疗中重度和难治性哮喘的特效药奥马珠单抗治疗费用相对昂贵,生物类似药CMAB007的研制可以降低治疗费用。本研究用质谱分析一种奥马珠单抗生物类似药CMAB007与原研药的一致性,分别从氨基酸分析、肽图、N/C端序列,还原质谱,寡糖含量,N糖分析等层面对CMAB007和奥马珠单抗进行了系统的比对研究,为进一步临床研究打下基础。结果表明CMAB007和奥马珠单抗氨基酸序列一致,赖氨酸剪切也基本一致,带唾液酸修饰糖形和带核心岩藻糖形比例相近,高甘露糖形比例差异不大,CMAB007略低于奥马珠单抗。因此CMAB007满足生物类似药在结构比对上一致性的要求,有望成为国内首先上市的重组抗人Ig E单克隆抗体药物。     

生物药和生物仿制药三维构像的指纹化分析

云桥生物技术公司最近开发的蛋白质构象矩阵ELISA技术(PCA-ELISA)能从分子水平上系统、灵敏并且快速的分析蛋白质药物的三维构象。最近美国的《医疗保健法》需确认为仿制药的审批和商业化指明了道路,届时将引起目前已上市的主要的生物药间的激烈竞争。如何保持生物仿制药与原创药的高度相似是目前生物制药产业所面临的巨大挑战,而争论的焦点集中在仿制药与原创     

中国生物仿制药发展分析

近几年,生物仿制药研发热潮逐渐兴起,本文简要综述了生物仿制药的市场情况,我国生物仿制药发展现状及相关的法律法规。     

贝伐珠单抗生物类似药质量相似性评价探讨*

贝伐珠单抗是研发热度最高的生物类似药之一,在梳理国内23家贝伐珠单抗生物类似药厂家研发数据和原研厂家研究数据的基础上,结合目前国内外生物类似药相关指导原则的理念以及相关文献,从生物类似药相似性评价一般原则、贝伐珠单抗关键质量属性识别和相似性评价几个方面,对贝伐珠单抗生物类似药质量相似性的技术评价要点进行初步探讨。     

贝伐珠单抗生物类似药质量相似性评价探讨*

贝伐珠单抗是研发热度最高的生物类似药之一,在梳理国内23家贝伐珠单抗生物类似药厂家研发数据和原研厂家研究数据的基础上,结合目前国内外生物类似药相关指导原则的理念以及相关文献,从生物类似药相似性评价一般原则、贝伐珠单抗关键质量属性识别和相似性评价几个方面,对贝伐珠单抗生物类似药质量相似性的技术评价要点进行初步探讨。     

仿制药一致性评价中有关物质研究的思考

有关物质是药品的关键质量属性之一,也是仿制药一致性评价的重要内容,其涉及药品的安全性及其质量的可控性。文章梳理了 仿制药有关物质的来源及研究重点,评估仿制药有关物质的文献分析方法,总结归纳仿制药与被仿制药实际样品的杂质谱分析比较及其 意义,探讨杂质限度的确定原则与方法。     

特殊制剂一致性评价的开发策略

2016 年 3 月 5 日,国务院办公厅《开展仿制药质量和疗效一致性评价的意见》正式对外公布,提出了全面提高仿制药质量,开 展仿制药质量一致性评价,确保中国仿制药质量不低于美国、欧盟、日本的标准。文章介绍了美国和日本的一致性评价背景,根据中国国情, 结合政策法规,阐述如何科学性、合理性地开展仿制药一致性评价,重点介绍低剂量和微丸压片特殊口服固体制剂一致性评价的开发策略。     

Regulatory considerations in oncologic biosimilar drug development

Biosimilar monoclonal antibodies are being developed globally for patients with different types of solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Applications for proposed biosimilar monoclonal antibodies are being submitted to the regulatory authorities around the world and may increase patient access to key treatment options upon approval. An understanding among stakeholders (e.g., physicians, patients and their caregivers, pharmacists, payers) of the approval criteria, as well as the similarities and differences in regulatory pathways involved in biosimilar approval in different countries, as presented in this review, will facilitate identification of high-quality, safe, monoclonal antibodies that have been developed according to strict, biosimilar regulatory standards. Further guidance and resolution of the ongoing discussions on biosimilar labeling, naming, automatic substitution, and indication extrapolation may ensure, in the future, an effective and appropriate use of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies by oncologists and other stakeholders in daily clinical practice.     

Guardians at the gate: Biosimilar and patent reform legislation could fundamentally change the guards for therapeutic monoclonal antibodies—Part 2

Patent protection and FDA exclusivities are the two principal forms of protection available to companies that develop therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Propo-sed changes to both forms of protection are currently being debated in the United States Congress. Specifically, Congress is presently debating both biosimilar and patent reform legislations. Although no bill has yet passed, it is expected that patent reform legislation should pass this year. It is less likely that a biosimilar bill will pass this year. However, when legislations are enacted, the changes will significantly impact the business of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.Key words: patent reform, biosimilar legislation, therapeutic antibody, Eshoo, Waxman, S 615, HR 1260     

Monoclonal antibodies biosimilarity assessment using transient isotachophoresis capillary zone electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry

Out of all categories, monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics attract the most interest due to their strong therapeutic potency and specificity. Six of the 10 top-selling drugs are antibody-based therapeutics that will lose patent protection soon. The European Medicines Agency has pioneered the regulatory framework for approval of biosimilar products and approved the first biosimilar antibodies by the end of 2013. As highly complex glycoproteins with a wide range of micro-variants, mAbs require extensive characterization through multiple analytical methods for structure assessment rendering manufacturing control and biosimilarity studies particularly product and time-consuming. Here, capillary zone electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry by a sheathless interface (CESI-MS) was used to characterize marketed reference mAbs and their respective biosimilar candidate simultaneously over different facets of their primary structure. CESI-MS/MS data were compared between approved mAbs and their biosimilar candidates to prove/disconfirm biosimilarity regarding recent regulation directives. Using only a single sample injection of 200 fmol, CESI-MS/MS data enabled 100% amino acids (AA) sequence characterization, which allows a difference of even one AA between 2 samples to be distinguished precisely. Simultaneously glycoforms were characterized regarding their structures and position through fragmentation spectra and glycoforms semiquantitative analysis was established, showing the capacity of the developed methodology to detect up to 16 different glycans. Other posttranslational modifications hotspots were characterized while their relative occurrence levels were estimated and compared to biosimilars. These results proved the value of using CESI-MS because the separation selectivity and ionization efficiency provided by the system allowed substantial improvement in the characterization workflow robustness and accuracy. Biosimilarity assessment could be performed routinely with a single injection of each candidate enabling improvements in the biosimilar development pipeline.     

Monoclonal antibodies biosimilarity assessment using transient isotachophoresis capillary zone electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry

Out of all categories, monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics attract the most interest due to their strong therapeutic potency and specificity. Six of the 10 top-selling drugs are antibody-based therapeutics that will lose patent protection soon. The European Medicines Agency has pioneered the regulatory framework for approval of biosimilar products and approved the first biosimilar antibodies by the end of 2013. As highly complex glycoproteins with a wide range of micro-variants, mAbs require extensive characterization through multiple analytical methods for structure assessment rendering manufacturing control and biosimilarity studies particularly product and time-consuming. Here, capillary zone electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry by a sheathless interface (CESI-MS) was used to characterize marketed reference mAbs and their respective biosimilar candidate simultaneously over different facets of their primary structure. CESI-MS/MS data were compared between approved mAbs and their biosimilar candidates to prove/disconfirm biosimilarity regarding recent regulation directives. Using only a single sample injection of 200 fmol, CESI-MS/MS data enabled 100% amino acids (AA) sequence characterization, which allows a difference of even one AA between 2 samples to be distinguished precisely. Simultaneously glycoforms were characterized regarding their structures and position through fragmentation spectra and glycoforms semiquantitative analysis was established, showing the capacity of the developed methodology to detect up to 16 different glycans. Other posttranslational modifications hotspots were characterized while their relative occurrence levels were estimated and compared to biosimilars. These results proved the value of using CESI-MS because the separation selectivity and ionization efficiency provided by the system allowed substantial improvement in the characterization workflow robustness and accuracy. Biosimilarity assessment could be performed routinely with a single injection of each candidate enabling improvements in the biosimilar development pipeline.     

Correct primary structure assessment and extensive glyco-profiling of cetuximab by a combination of intact,middle-up,middle-down and bottom-up ESI and MALDI mass spectrometry techniques

The European Medicines Agency received recently the first marketing authorization application for a biosimilar monoclonal antibody (mAb) and adopted the final guidelines on biosimilar mAbs and Fc-fusion proteins. The agency requires high similarity between biosimilar and reference products for approval. Specifically, the amino acid sequences must be identical. The glycosylation pattern of the antibody is also often considered to be a very important quality attribute due to its strong effect on quality, safety, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics and potency. Here, we describe a case study of cetuximab, which has been marketed since 2004. Biosimilar versions of the product are now in the pipelines of numerous therapeutic antibody biosimilar developers. We applied a combination of intact, middle-down, middle-up and bottom-up electrospray ionization and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry techniques to characterize the amino acid sequence and major post-translational modifications of the marketed cetuximab product, with special emphasis on glycosylation. Our results revealed a sequence error in the reported sequence of the light chain in databases and in publications, thus highlighting the potency of mass spectrometry to establish correct antibody sequences. We were also able to achieve a comprehensive identification of cetuximab’s glycoforms and glycosylation profile assessment on both Fab and Fc domains. Taken together, the reported approaches and data form a solid framework for the comparability of antibodies and their biosimilar candidates that could be further applied to routine structural assessments of these and other antibody-based products.     

Next generation and biosimilar monoclonal antibodies: Essential considerations towards regulatory acceptance in Europe February 3–4, 2011, Freiburg,Germany

The Next Generation and Biosimilar Monoclonal Antibodies: Essential Considerations Towards Regulatory Acceptance in Europe workshop, organized by the European Centre of Regulatory Affairs Freiburg (EUCRAF), was held February 3–4, 2011 in Freiburg, Germany. The workshop attracted over 100 attendees from 15 countries, including regulators from 11 agencies, who interacted over the course of two days. The speakers presented their authoritative views on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as attractive targets for development, the experience to date with the regulatory process for biosimilar medicinal products, the European Medicines Agency draft guideline on biosimilar mAbs, as well as key elements in the development of mAbs. Participants engaged in many lively discussions, and much speculation on the nature of the quality, non-clinical and clinical requirements for authorization of biosimilar mAbs.Key words: biosimilar, monoclonal antibody, European Medicines Agency, medicinal product regulation     

Guardians at the gate

Patent protection and FDA exclusivities are the two principal forms of protection available to companies that develop therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Proposed changes to both forms of protection are currently being debated in the United States Congress. Specifically, Congress is presently debating both biosimilar and patent reform legislations. Although no bill has yet passed, it is expected that patent reform legislation should pass this year. It is less likely that a biosimilar bill will pass this year. However, when legislations are enacted, the changes will significantly impact the business of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.     

细胞培养过程对单克隆抗体糖基化修饰的影响和调控

在单克隆抗体药生产过程中,其糖基化修饰可能受到多种工艺参数的影响,因而容易产生异质性,并且抗体糖基化和抗体半衰期、免疫源性、ADCC、CDC等密切相关,所以单克隆抗体的糖基化修饰是重要的质量属性,需要在生物药尤其是生物类似药开发过程中重点关注,并加以调控。通过概述培养过程中的细胞株、培养工艺,以及培养基对糖型的影响,讨论如何在工艺开发过程开展研究,确保产品糖基化的一致性,从而保证单抗药物的疗效及安全性。     

Rapid comparison of a candidate biosimilar to an innovator monoclonal antibody with advanced liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry technologies

This study shows that state-of-the-art liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) can be used for rapid verification of identity and characterization of sequence variants and posttranslational modifications (PTMs) for antibody products. A candidate biosimilar IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) was compared in detail to a commercially available innovator product. Intact protein mass, primary sequence, PTMs, and the micro-differences between the two mAbs were identified and quantified simultaneously. Although very similar in terms of sequences and modifications, a mass difference observed by LC-MS intact mass measurements indicated that they were not identical. Peptide mapping, performed with data independent acquisition LC-MS using an alternating low and elevated collision energy scan mode (LC-MS^E), located the mass difference between the biosimilar and the innovator to a two amino acid residue variance in the heavy chain sequences. The peptide mapping technique was also used to comprehensively catalogue and compare the differences in PTMs of the biosimilar and innovator mAbs. Comprehensive glycosylation profiling confirmed that the proportion of individual glycans was different between the biosimilar and the innovator, although the number and identity of glycans were the same. These results demonstrate that the combination of accurate intact mass measurement, released glycan profiling, and LC-MS^E peptide mapping provides a set of routine tools that can be used to comprehensively compare a candidate biosimilar and an innovator mAb.     

Waiving in vivo studies for monoclonal antibody biosimilar development: National and global challenges

Biosimilars are biological medicinal products that contain a version of the active substance of an already authorised original biological medicinal product (the innovator or reference product). The first approved biosimilar medicines were small proteins, and more recently biosimilar versions of innovator monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs have entered development as patents on these more complex proteins expire. In September 2013, the first biosimilar mAb, infliximab, was authorised in Europe. In March 2015, the first biosimilar (Zarxio?, filgrastim-sndz, Sandoz) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration; however, to date no mAb biosimilars have been approved in the US. There are currently major differences between how biosimilars are regulated in different parts of the world, leading to substantial variability in the amount of in vivo nonclinical toxicity testing required to support clinical development and marketing of biosimilars. There are approximately 30 national and international guidelines on biosimilar development and this number is growing. The European Union's guidance describes an approach that enables biosimilars to enter clinical trials based on robust in vitro data alone; in contrast, the World Health Organization's guidance is interpreted globally to mean in vivo toxicity studies are mandatory.

We reviewed our own experience working in the global regulatory environment, surveyed current practice, determined drivers for nonclinical in vivo studies with biosimilar mAbs and shared data on practice and study design for 25 marketed and as yet unmarketed biosimilar mAbs that have been in development in the past 5y. These data showed a variety of nonclinical in vivo approaches, and also demonstrated the practical challenges faced in obtaining regulatory approval for clinical trials based on in vitro data alone. The majority of reasons for carrying out nonclinical in vivo studies were not based on scientific rationale, and therefore the authors have made recommendations for a data-driven approach to the toxicological assessment of mAb biosimilars that minimises unnecessary use of animals and can be used across all regions of the world.