The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first biosimilar to denosumab, denosumab-bddz (Wyost/Jubbonti).
The biosimilar was also granted interchangeability status, which allows pharmacists to substitute the biosimilar for the reference product without involving the prescribing clinician (according to state law). Sandoz announced the approval on March 5, 2024. The lower dosage of denosumab-bddz, marketed as Jubbonti, was also approved by Health Canada in February.
The FDA approval “is based on robust clinical studies and accompanied by labeling with safety warnings,” according to the press release. Like the reference products Prolia and Xgeva, denosumab-bddz is approved for two indications at separate doses.
Wyost (120-mg/1.7-mL injection) is approved to:
- Prevent skeletal-related events in patients with multiple myeloma and in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors
- Treat adults and skeletally mature adolescents with giant cell tumor of bone that is unresectable or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity
- Treat hypercalcemia of cancer that is refractory to bisphosphonate therapy
Jubbonti (60-mg/1-mL injection) is approved to:
- Treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for fracture
- Increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis who are at high risk for fracture
- Treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men and women who are at high risk for fracture
- Increase bone mass in men who are at high risk for fracture who are receiving androgen deprivation therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer
- Increase bone mass in women who are at high risk for fracture who are receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer.
Both doses are contraindicated for hypocalcemia and known clinically significant hypersensitivity to denosumab products. Exposure to denosumab products during pregnancy can cause fetal harm, so women of reproductive potential should be advised to use effective contraception during therapy and for at least 5 months after the last dose of denosumab-bddz.
Sandoz did not provide information on US launch details, citing “ongoing patent litigation around these products.”
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.