Several biosimilars are positioned for listing on Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from 1 July 2025, namely: Celltrion’s Steqeyma® (ustekinumab, biosimilar to Janssen’s Stelara®), Viatris’ Nepexto® (etanercept, biosimilar to Pfizer’s Enbrel®), Sandoz’s Tyruko® (natalizumab, biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri®).

Celltrion’s Steqeyma® is set to become the first biosimilar to Janssen’s Stelara® (ustekinumab) to be listed on the PBS.  The product has reached the final “government processes” stage, indicating that PBS-listing is imminent.  Steqeyma® was recommended in December 2024 following its consideration at PBAC’s November 2024 meeting.  Amgen’s Wezlana® was the first ustekinumab biosimilar recommended for listing at the March 2024 PBAC meeting, however Amgen is not proceeding with the PBS-listing and the PBAC process has ceased.  Samsung Bioepis’ Epyztek® was recommended for PBS-listing at PBAC’s March 2025 meeting, but remains in the earlier stages of application.

Viatris’ Nepexto® may soon become the second biosimilar to Pfizer’s Enbrel® (etanercept) subsidised under the PBS, also reaching the final “government processes” stage.  Samsung Bioepis/Arrow Pharma’s Brenzys® was the first PBS-listed etanercept biosimilar in April 2017.

Sandoz’s Tyruko®, biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri® (natalizumab), is also approaching PBS listing, following its recommendation in PBAC’s March 2025 meeting and approval as the first and only natalizumab biosimilar in Australia (April 2025).  Tyruko® was developed by Polpharma Biologics and, under a global commercialisation agreement with Sandoz reached in 2019, Sandoz has exclusive rights to commercialise and distribute the product in all markets.

On 24 April 2025, the outcomes of Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) March 2025 meeting were published, including recommendations for the listing of three biosimilars on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Sandoz’s natalizumab biosimilar, Tyruko® (300 mg in 15 mL vial for intravenous infusion) has been recommended for PBS-listing under the same circumstances as Biogen’s Tysabri®.  Tyruko®, which was developed by Polpharma Biologics, is the first and only biosimilar natalizumab to have been approved in Australia (4 April 2025).

Celltrion’s Omlyclo® (omalizumab), biosimilar to Genentech/Novartis’ Xolair®, was recommended for PBS-listing (as 75 mg/0.5 mL and 150 mg/1 mL PFS) for the treatment of uncontrolled severe asthma, uncontrolled severe allergic asthma and severe chronic spontaneous urticaria.  The PBAC considered that “the application of biosimilar uptake drivers to Omlyclo® would be clinically appropriate and would not impact cost effectiveness”.  Such biosimilar uptake drivers include an Authority Required requirement for the inclusion of an administrative note across all Omlyclo® listings encouraging use of the biosimilar brand for treatment naïve patients.  Omlyclo® is the first, and currently only, omalizumab biosimilar approved in Australia (November 2024).

Samsung Bioepis’ Epyztek® (ustekinumab) is recommended for PBS-listing for the same indications as its reference biologic, J&J’s Stelara®, in three forms: 45 mg/0.5 mL in a 0.5 mg PFS for injection, 90 mg/1 mL PFS for injection and solution for IV infusion 130 mg in 26 mL.  As for Omlyclo®, PBAC considered that the application of biosimilar uptake drives to Epyztek® would be appropriate.  Epyztek® was the fourth ustekinumab biosimilar to be approved in Australia in October 2024, following Celltrion’s SteQeyma®/CT-P43 (September 2024) and Amgen’s Wezlana® (January 2024) and Ajemnye® (May 2024).  Australia’s PBAC recommended Wezlana® for PBS listing at its March 2024 meeting.

On 4 April 2025, Sandoz’s Tyruko®, biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri® (natalizumab), was approved by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).  This is the first biosimilar natalizumab approved in Australia.

Tyruko®’s Australian approval is for a 300mg/15mL concentrate for infusion vial.  It is indicated as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) to delay the progression of physical disability and to reduce the frequency of relapse.

Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) considered Tyruko® for reimbursement at its March 2025 meeting.  The outcomes of that meeting have not yet been published.

Tyruko® was developed by Polpharma Biologics and, under a global commercialisation agreement with Sandoz reached in 2019, Sandoz has exclusive rights to commercialise and distribute the product in all markets.

Tyruko® is approved in Europe (September 2023) and the US (August 2023).

On 28 November 2024, Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) published its agenda for the March 2025 Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) meeting.  This follows the PBAC’s publication of its September 2024 intracycle meeting outcomes, which noted that, to date, it had not received an acceptable proposal for an expanded listing to facilitate broad access to PD-(L)1 inhibitors which includes MSD’s pembrolizumab and BMS’ nivolumab.   

For the March 2025 agenda, half of the submissions selected for consideration are for monoclonal antibodies, 17 of which are list for new PBS additions and 6 for amendments. 

Four biosimilars will be considered for new listings: 

• Pfizer’s Ixifi®, biosimilar to Janssen’s Remicade® (infliximab), for severe active rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, severe psoriatic arthritis, severe chronic plaque psoriasis, severe Crohn disease, complex refractory fistulising Crohn Disease, and moderate to severe ulcerative colitis 

• Sandoz’s Tyruko®, biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri® (natalizumab), for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis 

• Celltrion’s Omlyclo®, biosimilar to Novartis’ Xolair® (omalizumab), for uncontrolled severe asthma, uncontrolled severe allergic asthma, and severe chronic spontaneous urticaria 

• Samsung Bioepis’ Epyztek®, biosimilar to Janssen’s Stelara® (ustekinumab), for severe chronic plaque psoriasis, severe psoriatic arthritis, severe Crohn disease, and complex refractory fistulising Crohn Disease 

One biosimilar is being considered for changes to an existing listing: Celltrion’s Remsima® SC, biosimilar to Janssen’s Remicade® (infliximab). 

Other applications for PBS listing additions or amendments that the PBAC will consider at its March 2025 meeting include the following: 

On 30 October 2024, Sandoz announced its Q3 and 9-month 2024 financial results, reporting third quarter net sales of USD 2.6 billion, up 12% in constant currencies, year-on-year.  Net sales for the first 9 months of the year were USD 7.6 billion, an increase of 9% in constant currencies compared to the same period in 2023.

Sandoz experienced strong biosimilars growth of 37% (to USD 741 million) and 32% (to USD 2.1 billion) in constant currencies (YoY) for the quarter and the year to date respectively.  This is attributed to the European launches of Pyzchiva® (ustekinumab) in July 2024 and Tyruko® (natalizumab) in January 2024, the Canadian launch of Wyost®/Jubbonti® (denosumab) in August 2024, the acquisition of Cimerli® (ranibizumab) from Coherus announced in January 2024, the uptake of Hyrimoz® (adalimumab) in the US and the continued strong demand for Sandoz’s very first biosimilar Omnitrope® (somatropin).

Key biosimilar milestones for Q3/2024 are reported to include the FDA approvals of Enzeevu^TM (aflibercept) in August 2024 and Pyzchiva® (ustekinumab) in July 2024, and the launch of the first European biosimilar to Janssen’s Stelara®, Pyzchiva® (ustekinumab), in July 2024.  Sandoz intends to launch Pyzchiva® in the US in February 2025 in the first wave of biosimilars, while the US-launch of Enzeevu™ is dependent upon factors including the outcome of ongoing BPCIA litigation.

On 9 August 2024, Sandoz announced its Q2 2024 sales and financial results for half year ended 30 June 2024, reporting net sales of USD 2.6 billion for Q2/24, an increase of 9% when compared to the same quarter in 2023.  Net sales for biosimilars in the same period were USD 720 million, up 37% compared with Q2/23, with growth for the half-year of 29%.

Sandoz attributes its strong double-digit biosimilars growth in the first half of 2024 to: the uptake of Hyrimoz® (adalimumab) in the US; the acquisition of Cimerli®, biosimilar to Genentech’s Lucentis® (ranibizumab) announced in January 2024; the continued strong demand for its first-ever biosimilar, Omnitrope® (somatropin); and the European launch of Tyruko® (natalizumab), biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri®, in January 2024.

Sandoz has achieved a number of key milestones in the first half of 2024, including the approvals of ustekinumab biosimilar, Pyzchiva® (developed by Samsung Bioepis), in the US (1 July 2024) and Europe (22 April 2024) and denosumab biosimilars, Wyost® and Jubbonti®, in the US and Europe (5 March 2024).  Sandoz reports the expected US launch date for Wyost®/Jubbonti® as Q2/25 and that for Pyzchiva® as Q1/25.  Pyzchiva® was launched in Europe in July 2024.

Sandoz has increased its full year 2024 net sales guidance from mid-single digit growth to mid-to high single digit growth.

On 7 May 2024, Sandoz announced Q1 2024 net sales of USD1.9 billion, with its biosimilars growing 21% to USD 623 million.  The biosimilar growth is said to be driven by Sandoz’s 2023 US/EU launch of Hyrimoz®, biosimilar to AbbVie’s Humira® (adalimumab), and the acquisition of Cimerli®, biosimilar to Genentech’s Lucentis® (ranibizumab), announced in January 2024.  During the reported quarter, Sandoz also launched in Germany the Polpharma-developed Tyruko® (Biogen’s Tysabri®, natalizumab) and obtained US approval for Jubbonti® and Wyost® (Amgen’s Prolia®/Xgeva®, denosumab).

Sandoz announced that it launched biosimilar natalizumab (Tyruko®) in Germany on 31 January 2024 for the treatment of adults with highly active relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).  Tyruko® was developed by Polpharma Biologics and is the first biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri® (natalizumab) to be launched in Europe.

The EC approved Sandoz’s Tyruko® in September 2023, and it was approved by the FDA in August 2023.

Sandoz and Polpharma Biologics announced that the EC has approved Tyruko® (natalizumab), biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri®, as a single disease-modifying therapy (DMT) in adults with highly active Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. This is the first EC approved biosimilar to Tysabri®.  Tyruko® was developed by Polpharma Biologics, and will be commercialised by Sandoz.

Tyruko® was approved by the FDA on 25 August 2023. The EU CHMP issued a positive opinion recommending approval of Tyruko® on 21 July 2023. 

Sandoz announced that the FDA approved its biosimilar Tyruko® (natalizumab), biosimilar to Biogen’s Tysabri, for all indications covered by Tysabri®.  It is the first and only FDA-approved biosimilar for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).  Tyruko® was developed by Polpharma Biologics pursuant to a global commercialisation agreement with Sandoz reached in 2019.  As part of the agreement, Sandoz has exclusive rights to commercialise and distribute the product in all markets.

This news comes just a week after Sandoz announced its spin-off from Novartis is planned for 4 October 2023.  On 21 July 2023, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion Tyruko® to treat active relapsing remitting MS.