Pfizer announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Nivestym (filgrastim-aafi), a biosimilar to Neupogen (filgrastim), for all eligible indications of the reference product.
“The FDA approval of Nivestym marks an important step in helping expand access to critical treatment options for patients with neutropenia, many of whom have cancer and can be hospitalized for potentially life-threatening side effects stemming from chemotherapy,” said Berk Gurdogan, U.S. Institutions President, Pfizer Essential Health. “We believe biosimilars, like Nivestym, are essential in helping to address evolving healthcare needs and may provide more affordable medicines to patients.”
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The FDA approval was based on a review of a comprehensive data package and totality of evidence demonstrating a high degree of similarity of Nivestym compared to its reference product.
In the U.S., Nivestym is indicated:
- To decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a significant incidence of severe neutropenia with fever.
- For reducing the time to neutrophil recovery and the duration of fever, following induction or consolidation chemotherapy treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
- To reduce the duration of neutropenia and neutropenia-related clinical sequelae, e.g., febrile neutropenia, in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies undergoing myeloablative chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplantation (BMT).
- For the mobilization of autologous hematopoietic progenitor cells into the peripheral blood for collection by leukapheresis.
- For chronic administration to reduce the incidence and duration of sequelae of severe neutropenia (e.g., fever, infections, oropharyngeal ulcers) in symptomatic patients with congenital neutropenia, cyclic neutropenia, or idiopathic neutropenia.