Biocon Biologics India Ltd., a fully integrated ‘pure play’ biosimilars company and a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd., and Mylan N.V. announced the U.S. launch of Semglee™ (insulin glargine injection) in vial and pre-filled pen presentations, approved to help control high blood sugar in adult and pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes and adults with type 2 diabetes. It is not recommended for the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis. Semglee, which received final approval from the U.S. FDA, has an identical amino acid sequence to Sanofi’s Lantus® and is approved for the same indications.
Dr. Thomas Blevins, M.D., lead investigator for the INSTRIDE clinical trials, said: “The availability of Semglee provides another quality treatment option for patients living with diabetes in the U.S. We rigorously compared Semglee (insulin glargine injection) to the reference insulin glargine in participants with Type 1 and 2 diabetes and found that Semglee yielded similar (non-inferior) glycemic results in both groups. The safety, including immunogenicity, was similar too. As a result, this insulin was approved by the FDA for the same indications as its reference product Lantus, thus expanding access for millions of people within this important patient community.”
To encourage broad patient access to this important medicine, Mylan is offering Semglee at a wholesale acquisition cost (WAC)[1] of $147.98 per package of five (5) 3ml pens and $98.65 per 10ml vial, representing the lowest WAC for any long-acting insulin glargine on the market. The list price of Semglee pen is equivalent to the Lantus launch price in 2007, and the Semglee vial is listed at Lantus’s 2010 pricing. Eligible patients may also qualify for patient assistance and/or a co-pay card, similar to other medications in this class. Additionally, Mylan has submitted to FDA all necessary documentation to request approval of Semglee as a biosimilar to Lantus under the 351(k) pathway and remains confident in seeking an interchangeability designation.
About Biocon Limited
Biocon Limited, publicly listed in 2004, is an innovation-led global biopharmaceuticals company committed to enhance affordable access to complex therapies for chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer and autoimmune. It has developed and commercialized novel biologics, biosimilars, and complex small molecule APIs in India and several key global markets as well as generic formulations in the US and Europe. It also has a pipeline of promising novel assets in immunotherapy under development.
About Mylan
Mylan is a global pharmaceutical company committed to setting new standards in healthcare. Working together around the world to provide 7 billion people access to high quality medicine, we innovate to satisfy unmet needs; make reliability and service excellence a habit; do what’s right, not what’s easy; and impact the future through passionate global leadership. We offer a portfolio of more than 7,500 marketed products around the world, including antiretroviral therapies on which approximately 40% of people being treated for HIV/AIDS globally depend. We market our products in more than 165 countries and territories. We are one of the world’s largest producers of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Every member of our approximately 35,000-strong workforce is dedicated to creating better health for a better world, one person at a time.