PFE Pfizer Inc

   By Colin Kellaher 
 

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) on Tuesday said it received European Commission approval for Zirabev, its biosimilar to Genentech's cancer drug Avastin, in several forms of cancer.

The New York drug maker said the Zirabev approval covers the treatment of metastatic carcinoma of the colon or rectum; metastatic breast cancer; unresectable advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer; advanced and/or metastatic renal cell cancer; and persistent, recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the cervix.

Biosimilar products are the generic equivalents of biologic drugs, which are created from living cells.

Pfizer said Zirabev is its fifth biosimilar, and second oncology biosimilar, to receive European approval. The company last July said the EC approved Trazimera, its biosimilar to Genentech's Herceptin, in certain breast and gastric cancers

Genentech is a unit of Roche Holding AG (ROG.EB).

Pfizer said it has also filed for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Zirabev.

Write to Colin Kellaher at colin.kellaher@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 19, 2019 10:15 ET (15:15 GMT)

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