Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 19, 2026

07:25
In Vitro Methods for Comparing Target Binding and CDC Induction Between Therapeutic Antibodies: Applications in Biosimilarity Analysis
Published on: May 4, 2017
Comments on the FDA draft guidance on biosimilar products
Shein-Chung Chow1, Laszlo Endrenyi, Peter A Lachenbruch
1Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, U.S.A.
Statistics in Medicine
|August 21, 2012
Summary
This paper discusses the US FDA
Area of Science:
- Biopharmaceutical science
- Regulatory science
- Drug development
Background:
- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released draft guidance in 2012 for demonstrating biosimilarity.
- One guidance focuses on scientific considerations for biosimilarity assessment.
- Current guidance suggests a stepwise approach and totality of evidence evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide comments on unresolved scientific issues in the FDA's draft biosimilarity guidance.
- To address key questions regarding the definition and assessment of biosimilarity.
- To offer insights for revising the scientific considerations for biosimilarity demonstration.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the FDA's draft guidance on scientific considerations for biosimilarity.
- Identification and discussion of unanswered scientific questions and challenges.
- Review of criteria for assessing biosimilarity, study designs, and statistical methods.
Main Results:
- The guidance suggests a stepwise approach and totality of evidence for biosimilarity.
- Several critical scientific issues remain unresolved, including defining 'highly similar'.
- Further clarification is needed on study design, sample size, statistical analysis, and interchangeability assessment.
Conclusions:
- The comments aim to assist in refining the FDA's guidance documents on biosimilarity.
- Addressing these scientific issues is crucial for robust biosimilarity evaluations.
- Improved guidance will facilitate the development and approval of biosimilars.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Products: Biologics, Biosimilars and Interchangeables
Biologics, derived from living sources such as humans, animals, or microorganisms, represent a significant category of pharmaceuticals. These complex molecules, developed through advanced biotechnological methods or purified from natural sources, include essential medical treatments like insulin and growth hormones. The complexity of biologics arises from their large molecular structures and the intricate processes required for their production, making them distinct from conventional...
Biopharmaceutical Factors Influencing Drug Product Design: Overview
Rational drug product design integrates knowledge of the drug’s physicochemical properties, formulation components, manufacturing techniques, and intended route of administration. Each factor influences the drug’s performance, including how it is released, absorbed, and eliminated in the body.The physicochemical properties of a drug—such as solubility, stability, and particle size—affect its compatibility with excipients and the choice of dosage form. Excipients, though pharmacologically...
FDA Approved Drugs: Changes to Approved Drugs
Post-approval, manufacturers may modify an approved new or generic drug product. Such modifications can encompass alterations in the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), manufacturing process, formulation, batch size, manufacturing site, and container closure system (FDA Guidance for Industry, April 2004). Often, a drug product may undergo multiple changes.These modifications require careful evaluation to determine their potential impact on the drug product's identity, strength, quality,...
Bioequivalence studies: Biowaivers
In certain scenarios, in vitro dissolution tests can replace in vivo bioequivalence studies. This is particularly true when a drug product, though available in varying strengths, maintains proportional similarity in its active and inactive ingredients. In such cases, the need for in vivo bioequivalence studies for lower strength variants may be waived, provided dissolution tests and in vivo studies on the highest strength yield satisfactory results.Bioequivalence can be indicated through...
Bioequivalence: Overview
Pharmaceutical equivalents, by definition, are drug products with the same active ingredient in the same quantities, encapsulated in identical dosage forms, and intended for the same administration routes. These pharmaceutical equivalents are deemed bioequivalent if the bioavailability of the active entity in the drug preparations is similar. Moreover, pharmaceutical equivalents demonstrating bioequivalence are also regarded as therapeutically equivalent. This means that when used as directed,...
Bioequivalence of Drugs: Drugs with Multiple Indications
The concept of therapeutic equivalence (TE) in drugs with multiple indications is complex. A generic drug may be therapeutically equivalent to a brand-name product for one specific indication, but this doesn't necessarily mean it's equivalent for all other indications. Evidence of TE in one patient group and bioequivalence shown in healthy volunteers can support—but not confirm—TE for other indications. However, definitive proof requires individual clinical studies for each indication due to...

