BYOOVIZ™, first LUCENTIS® biosimilar, now available in Canada to treat debilitating retinal disorders

• Arrival of ^PrBYOOVIZ™ provides new, sustainable treatment option for Canadians with serious eye disorders that can lead to irreversible vision loss
• BYOOVIZ brings biosimilar science and the recognized efficacy of reference product ^PrLUCENTIS^® to retinal vascular disorders

TORONTO, March 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Biogen Canada Inc. is pleased to announce today that ^PrBYOOVIZ™ (ranibizumab injection), the first biosimilar referencing ^PrLUCENTIS^® is now available in Canada to treat serious eye disorders including neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which can lead to rapid vision loss¹. The commercial availability of BYOOVIZ – an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) biosimilar therapy – follows regulatory approval by Health Canada, a process subject to the same rigorous clinical testing and evaluation standards as all other biologic drugs².

"This new treatment option will help meet the growing eye care needs of Canadians living with potentially blinding retinal diseases," said Dr. Keith Gordon, Senior Research Officer, Canadian Council of the Blind. "We are delighted that patients who can be treated with anti-VEGF medications now have an alternative treatment available."

The availability of BYOOVIZ brings a cost-effective and sustainable anti-VEGF treatment to Canadian vision care and has the potential to allow more patients to access this type of vision saving therapy. Recognized for their important contributions to the quality of life of Canadians living with vision loss, anti-VEGF therapies are well-established for treating various retinal vascular disorders, including AMD, which accounts for 90 percent of new cases of legal blindness in Canadians^1,3.

"Canadians with retinal vascular disorders now have a new treatment available with BYOOVIZ, a biosimilar that provides these patients the option to be treated with an effective therapy, with the added benefit of cost savings to the healthcare system," said Eric Tse, General Manager at Biogen Canada. "Biogen is pleased to deliver a therapeutic alternative that responds to patients' needs while creating opportunities for reallocation of resources to other areas in the health system."

The introduction of BYOOVIZ in Canada is bringing biosimilar science to retinal vascular disorders and is the latest development in the evolution of vision health care delivery. BYOOVIZ is approved by Health Canada for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD); visual impairment due to diabetic macular edema (DME), macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO), choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathologic myopia (PM) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to ocular conditions other than AMD or PM, including but not limited to angioid streaks, post-inflammatory retinochoroidopathy, central serous choriorentinopathy or idiopathic chorioretinaopathy⁴.

About Biogen

As pioneers in neuroscience, Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological diseases as well as related therapeutic adjacencies. One of the world's first global biotechnology companies, Biogen was founded in 1978 by Charles Weissmann, Heinz Schaller, Sir Kenneth Murray, and Nobel Prize winners Walter Gilbert and Phillip Sharp. Today, Biogen has a leading portfolio of medicines to treat multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first approved treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, and developed the first approved treatment to address a defining pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Biogen is also commercializing biosimilars and focusing on advancing one of the industry's most diversified pipelines in neuroscience that will transform the standard of care for patients in several areas of high unmet need.

Since 1998, Biogen Canada has been delivering life-changing medicines and services that support unmet treatment needs and the lives of Canadians affected by neurological conditions. As a company that founds its culture on principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, Biogen Canada is proud to have been named a Best Workplace™ for Giving Back and Hybrid Work. To learn more, please visit www.biogen.ca.

References:

Canadian Ophthalmological Society News Release. Feb 2021. Available at https://www.cos-sco.ca/amd-awareness-month-sheds-light-on-the-leading-cause-of-severe-vision-loss-in-older-adults/ 

Health Canada. Biosimilar biologic drugs in Canada: Fact Sheet. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/hc-sc/migration/hc-sc/dhp-mps/alt_formats/pdf/brgtherap/applic-demande/guides/Fact-Sheet-EN-2019-08-23.pdf

Canadian Council of the Blind. The cost of vision loss and blindness in Canada: May 2021. Available at: https://www.fightingblindness.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Deloitte-Cost-of-vision-loss-and-blindness-in-Canada-report-May-2021.pdf

BYOOVIZ™ Canadian Product Monograph. Available at: www.biogen.ca/products/BYOOVIZ_PM_EN

LUCENTIS^® is a registered trademark of Genentech, Inc.

SOURCE Biogen Canada

MEDIA CONTACT: Michael Oreskovich, Communications Specialist, [phone], [email protected]