OREANDA-NEWS. Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced the submission of a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for ABP 501, a biosimilar candidate to Humira® (adalimumab). Amgen believes this submission is the first adalimumab biosimilar application submitted to the EMA and represents Amgen's first biosimilar to be submitted for approval in the European Union.

"The submission of Amgen's first biosimilar application to the EMA is an exciting milestone as we seek to expand our global patient reach," said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "Patients with chronic inflammatory conditions are faced with a significant burden of disease requiring long-term treatment. Amgen's branded biologic medicines and biosimilars are developed and manufactured according to the same high standards, and we are committed to delivering medicines to patients worldwide."

ABP 501 is a biosimilar candidate to adalimumab, an anti-TNF-? monoclonal antibody, which is approved in many countries for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases.

Amgen's MAA submission includes analytical, clinical and pharmacokinetic data. Phase 3 comparative efficacy and safety studies were conducted in both moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis. The Phase 3 studies met their primary endpoints showing clinical equivalence to adalimumab. Safety and immunogenicity of ABP 501 were also comparable to adalimumab in both studies. Data to support the transition of adalimumab patients to ABP 501 are included in the submission.

About ABP 501
ABP 501 is a biosimilar candidate to adalimumab, an anti-TNF-? monoclonal antibody, which is approved in many regions for the treatment of several inflammatory diseases. The active ingredient of ABP 501 is an anti-TNF-? monoclonal antibody that has the same amino acid sequence as adalimumab. ABP 501 has the same pharmaceutical dosage form and strength as adalimumab (U.S.) and adalimumab (EU).

About Amgen Biosimilars
Amgen Biosimilars is committed to building upon Amgen's experience in the development and manufacturing of innovative human therapeutics to expand Amgen's reach to patients with serious illnesses. Biosimilars offer the potential to increase patient access to vital medicines, and Amgen is well positioned to leverage its 35 years of experience in biotechnology to create high-quality biosimilars and reliably supply them to patients worldwide.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its biologics manufacturing expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.