FDA Approves First Interchangeable Biological Product

By Kevin E. Noonan — Last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an interchangeable biosimilar to insulin glargine, an approval notable because it is the first approved interchangeable biosimilar product. The product is Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn), produced by Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and under this approval, it is interchangeable with Lantus (insulin glargine) made by Sanofi. The approval was based on the provisions of the Biological Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (BPCIA), enacted with the Affordable Care Act (commonly known as “Obamacare”) codified at 42 U.S.C. § 262 et seq. Subsection (k) relates to the standards for…