Panel recommends FDA approval of infliximab biosimilar

An FDA advisory panel on Tuesday voted to recommend approval of the sale of a biosimilar version of Johnson & Johnson’s arthritis drug infliximab (Remicade), which had U.S. sales of $4.45 billion last year. The copy was developed by Celltrion Inc. and licensed to Pfizer. Drug manufacturers have been attempting to block biosimilars by taking out new U.S. patents to extend their monopolies potentially into the next 2 decades.