Celltrion's Truxima approved in Australia

SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion Inc. said Friday it has won an approval from an Australian regulator for the sale of its biosimilar drug Truxima.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration accepted Celltrion's application to sell the biosimilar to Roche's Mabthera, the company said. The antibody biosimilar is used in the treatment of a number of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of leukemia.

With the approval, Truxima would be Celltrion's second drug, after Remsima, to hit the Australian market, company sources said.

Biosimilars are officially approved copycat medicines developed after patents for the original biopharmaceuticals expire.

khj@yna.co.kr
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