FDA OKs Mylan's Wixela Inhub, the first generic Advair Diskus
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday gave Mylan the green light for Wixela Inhub, its generic Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder), marking the first approved generic of the GlaxoSmithKline inhaler.
The product is indicated for the twice-daily treatment of asthma in patients aged four years and older and maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
Mylan's generic inhaler will be available in three strengths: fluticasone propionate 100 mcg/ salmeterol 50 mcg, fluticasone propionate 250 mcg/ salmeterol 50 mcg and fluticasone propionate 500 mcg/ salmeterol 50 mcg.
"Today's approval of the first generic drug product for one of the most commonly prescribed asthma and COPD inhalers in the U.S. is part of our longstanding commitment to advance access to lower cost, high-quality generic alternatives," FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research director Janet Woodcock, said. "People living with asthma and COPD know too well the critical importance of having access to the treatment they need to feel better. Today's approval will bring more competition to the market which will ultimately benefit the patients who rely on this drug."
In the United States, more than 26 million people are known to have asthma, and about seven million of these people are children. COPD is a progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe and may become worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms.
"Mylan remains steadfast in its efforts to expand patient access to medicines, and the FDA approval of Wixela Inhub reinforces our commitment to provide patients greater choice and lower-cost alternatives. This milestone represents the culmination of an extensive research and development program and Mylan's more than $700 million of investment," Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said.
Bresch continued, "We're proud of our Wixela Inhub team, who worked tirelessly and in close collaboration with the FDA to bring this important medicine to market and add it to our growing global portfolio of more than 700 respiratory products. As one of the leading providers of prescription medicines in the U.S., we continue to execute on our mission and do our part to reduce costs for patients and identify pathways that help increase sustainability for the U.S. healthcare system overall."
Mylan president Rajiv Malik added, "We're pleased to offer the first FDA-approved generic of Advair Diskus, one of the leading treatments for asthma and COPD management today. We've long been confident in the science around this product and are proud of the dedication of our scientific teams to bring Wixela Inhub to market. This complex product required a rigorous research and development program spanning over a decade and close collaboration with FDA to define the regulatory pathway. We also are proud to manufacture Wixela Inhub in our own state-of-the-art plant. This approval reinforces our ongoing commitment to increase access to more affordable treatment options for patients."
"The FDA recognizes challenges companies face when seeking to develop hard-to-copy complex generics, such as drug-device combination products, including when the drugs are incorporated into inhalation devices like this," FDA's deputy commissioner for policy, planning, legislation and analysis Anna Abram, said. "We are committed to advancing new guidance for sponsors to make the development of generic versions of complex products more efficient, and we're prioritizing review of many applications covering proposed generic complex products for which a generic has not yet been approved."
The product is indicated for the twice-daily treatment of asthma in patients aged four years and older and maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction and reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
Mylan's generic inhaler will be available in three strengths: fluticasone propionate 100 mcg/ salmeterol 50 mcg, fluticasone propionate 250 mcg/ salmeterol 50 mcg and fluticasone propionate 500 mcg/ salmeterol 50 mcg.
"Today's approval of the first generic drug product for one of the most commonly prescribed asthma and COPD inhalers in the U.S. is part of our longstanding commitment to advance access to lower cost, high-quality generic alternatives," FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research director Janet Woodcock, said. "People living with asthma and COPD know too well the critical importance of having access to the treatment they need to feel better. Today's approval will bring more competition to the market which will ultimately benefit the patients who rely on this drug."
In the United States, more than 26 million people are known to have asthma, and about seven million of these people are children. COPD is a progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe and may become worse over time. COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms.
"Mylan remains steadfast in its efforts to expand patient access to medicines, and the FDA approval of Wixela Inhub reinforces our commitment to provide patients greater choice and lower-cost alternatives. This milestone represents the culmination of an extensive research and development program and Mylan's more than $700 million of investment," Mylan CEO Heather Bresch said.
Bresch continued, "We're proud of our Wixela Inhub team, who worked tirelessly and in close collaboration with the FDA to bring this important medicine to market and add it to our growing global portfolio of more than 700 respiratory products. As one of the leading providers of prescription medicines in the U.S., we continue to execute on our mission and do our part to reduce costs for patients and identify pathways that help increase sustainability for the U.S. healthcare system overall."
Mylan president Rajiv Malik added, "We're pleased to offer the first FDA-approved generic of Advair Diskus, one of the leading treatments for asthma and COPD management today. We've long been confident in the science around this product and are proud of the dedication of our scientific teams to bring Wixela Inhub to market. This complex product required a rigorous research and development program spanning over a decade and close collaboration with FDA to define the regulatory pathway. We also are proud to manufacture Wixela Inhub in our own state-of-the-art plant. This approval reinforces our ongoing commitment to increase access to more affordable treatment options for patients."
"The FDA recognizes challenges companies face when seeking to develop hard-to-copy complex generics, such as drug-device combination products, including when the drugs are incorporated into inhalation devices like this," FDA's deputy commissioner for policy, planning, legislation and analysis Anna Abram, said. "We are committed to advancing new guidance for sponsors to make the development of generic versions of complex products more efficient, and we're prioritizing review of many applications covering proposed generic complex products for which a generic has not yet been approved."