European Commission Approves Bevacizumab Biosimilar from Celltrion Healthcare

Celltrion Healthcare announced, in an Aug. 19, 2022 press release, that the European Commission (EC) has approved Vegzelma (CT-P16), its biosimilar to bevacizumab referencing the European Union (EU)-approved Avastin.

The approval covers the use of Vegzelma in the treatment of European patients with metastatic breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, advanced and/or metastatic renal cell cancer, metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer. EC’s decision follows on from the recommendation for marketing authorization that was issued by the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA’s) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

“The European Commission’s approval of Vegzelma will increase access to treatment for patients living with certain types of cancer at an affordable price,” said Kevin Byoung Seo Choi, senior vice-president and head of Marketing Division at Celltrion Healthcare, in the press release. “With proven similarities in efficacy and safety compared to the reference product Avastin, Vegzelma will be available to treat some of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, which collectively affect hundreds of thousands of European patients each year.”