MVASI, KANJINTI Now Available in United States

Amgen and Allergan announced that MVASI™ (bevacizumab-awwb), a biosimilar to Avastin® (bevacizumab), and KANJINTITM (trastuzumab-anns), a biosimilar to Herceptin® (trastuzumab), are now available in the United States.

MVASI, the first oncology therapeutic biosimilar approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is approved for the treatment of five types of cancer: in combination with chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC); in combination with chemotherapy for non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); recurrent glioblastoma; in combination with interferon-alfa for metastatic renal cell carcinoma; and in combination with chemotherapy for persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer.

KANJINTI is FDA approved for all approved indications of Herceptin: for the treatment of HER2-overexpressing adjuvant and metastatic breast cancer and HER2-overexpressing metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

"The introduction of biosimilars is an important step in increasing options for treating HER2-positive breast cancers, which account for about 25% of all breast cancers," said Paula Schneider, chief executive officer, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. "As patient advocates, we are working to ensure that patients are educated about biosimilars and understand that these FDA-approved treatments are just as effective as the original biologic drugs."

The Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC or "list price") of both MVASI and KANJINTI will be 15% lower than their reference products. MVASI is being made available at a WAC of $677.40 per 100 mg and $2,709.60 per 400 mg single-dose vial, 15% less than the WAC for Avastin. KANJINTI is being made available at a WAC of $3,697.26 per 420 mg multi-dose vial, 15% below the WAC of Herceptin. At launch, MVASI is priced 12% below the current Avastin Average Selling Price (ASP) and KANJINTI is priced 13% below the current Herceptin ASP. Both products will be available from both wholesalers and specialty distributors. 

"Several years ago, Amgen made the strategic decision to invest in building a global biosimilars business, leveraging our nearly four decades of experience in developing and manufacturing best-in-class biologics," said Murdo Gordon, executive vice president of Global Commercial Operations at Amgen. "Following several recent launches in Europe, we are excited to be launching our first two biosimilars in the U.S., which will provide for immediate savings for Medicare patients and commercial payers. We have several more biosimilars advancing through our pipeline, even as we continue to drive innovation through novel therapies for cancer and other serious diseases."

The WAC price measure does not account for discounts and rebates and may be significantly higher than out-of-pocket cost for patients, which can vary depending on several factors. Medicare and commercial insurance, for example, will generally pay for MVASI and KANJINTI based on ASP rather than WAC. Out-of-pocket cost may also depend on and be reduced by additional factors, including eligibility for patient assistance.

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