Amneal Pharmaceuticals announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Bevacizumab, pursuant to Section 351(k) pathway of the Public Health Service Act, and with a standard review goal date in the second quarter of 2022 according to the BsUFA (Biosimilar User Fee Act).

The biosimilar was developed in collaboration with mAbxience, a Spain-based biotechnology company. Bevacizumab is the biosimilar version of Avastin and when approved will be marketed under the proprietary name Alymsys.  Alymsys was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in February 2021. Amneal and mAbxience believe that the data supports the biosimilarity of its Alymsys product to Avastin.

“The FDA’s acceptance of our BLA for Bevacizumab is a significant milestone in our journey to become an important player in biosimilars,” stated Chirag and Chintu Patel, Co-Chief Executive Officers. As previously announced, the company expects its initial biosimilar portfolio will include Filgrastim (biosimilar for Neupogen), Pegfilgrastim (biosimilar for Neulasta) and Bevacizumab (biosimilar for Avastin).

Bevacizumab is a vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor. Amneal is seeking approval for Bevacizumab for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with intravenous fluorouracil-based chemotherapy for first- or second-line treatment and metastatic colorectal cancer, in combination with fluoropyrimidine-irinotecan- or fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy for second-line treatment in patients who have progressed on a first line Alymsys-containing regimen. Amneal also intends to seek approval for the remainder of the indications from the reference product label as soon as possible, subject to patent and regulatory exclusivities, by the biosimilarity pathway pursuant to Section 351(k).

According to IQVIA, US annual sales for Bevacizumab for the 12 months ended April 2021 were approximately $2.8 billion.