FDA Issues Updated Scientific Recommendations for Biosimilars: What Manufacturers Need to Know

The FDA has issued a new draft guidance that updates the scientific principles for demonstrating biosimilarity. The document clarifies when strong analytical similarity data, supported by comparative human pharmacokinetic and immunogenicity assessments, may be sufficient to demonstrate biosimilarity without requiring a comparative clinical efficacy study. This updated approach can help manufacturers reduce development timelines and costs, while placing greater emphasis on robust analytical packages, sensitive PK study designs and a clear, risk-based justification aligned with FDA expectations.