U.S. FDA Approves Biosimilar to Etanercept

The FDA approved the drug, Erelzi, known also as etanercept-szzs, for multiple inflammatory conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and plaque psoriasis, a skin condition.

The agency approved the drug as a biosimilar, meaning there is no clinically meaningful differences between Erelzi and Enbrel. However, the two drugs are not considered interchangeable and are, therefore, not called generics.

The FDA’s ruling followed a unanimous vote by the agency’s advisory panel in July in favor of approval.