Logo Image
News|Articles|June 20, 2017

Sandoz Scores European Approval for Biosimilar Rituximab

The European Commission approved Rixathon for use in all indications of its reference medicine, MabThera.

Sandoz, a division of Novartis, announced on June 19, 2017 that the European Commission (EC) has approved Rixathon (biosimilar rituximab) for use in Europe. Rixathon is approved for use in all indications of the reference medicine, MabThera, the company said in a press release.

In a statement, Carol Lynch, global head of Biopharmaceuticals at Sandoz called the approval a “big win for patients in Europe with blood cancers or immunological diseases.” Rixathon is approved for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, as well as immunological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and microscopic polyangiitis.

The EC approval was based on a comprehensive development program generating analytical, preclinical, and clinical-including pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics-data, the company said. The program demonstrated Rixathon matches its reference medicine in terms of safety, efficacy, and quality.

Source: Novartis

Related to this article

View more
Pharma Logistician Using IoT Based On Blockchain | Image Credit: ©leowolfert -stock.adobe.com
CPHI Milan 2026: Digital Supply Chains
Michael Levy, senior vice president, Digital & Innovation, USP, explains the digital supply chain in a preview of his upcoming CPHI Milan panel presentation, The Next Phase of Pharma Supply Chains.
Read more
AAPS PharmSci 360: CMC Strategies, Part 3
AAPS PharmSci 360: CMC Strategies, Part 3
In a preview of their panel discussion at AAPS PharmSci 360 2026, Alfred Rumondor, PhD, AbbVie, and Swita Singh, PhD, Bristol Myers Squibb, discuss the implementation of risk-based approaches for CMC.
Read more