WHO prequalifies biosimilar medicine for the first time

The World Health Organization (WHO, Geneva, Switzerland) has prequalified a biosimilar medicine, termed trastuzumab, for the first time. Trastuzumab has been listed in the WHO Essential Medicines List in 2015 as an essential treatment for 20% of breast cancers but is an expensive therapy.The prequalification of this treatment by WHO could make trastuzumab more viable and accessible to women worldwide. The medicine is supplied by Samsung Bioepis NL B.V. (Netherlands) and was assessed by WHO to be safe and of the same quality and efficacy as the original biotherapeutic product. The next step is making it available to United Nations...