Comparative Physicochemical and Biological Characterisation of the Similar Biological Medicinal Product Teriparatide and Its Reference Medicinal Product

BACKGROUND: In January 2017, the European Commission approved Terrosa(®) (company code RGB-10) as one of the first biosimilar medicinal products of teriparatide for the same indications as for the reference medicinal product Forsteo(®) (Lilly France S.A.S.), which has been on the market in the European Union since 2003. The active pharmaceutical ingredient of the reference medicinal product is the biologically active 1-34 fragment of the endogenous human parathyroid hormone [PTH(1-34)]. It is one of the three bone anabolic agents used in the treatment of osteoporosis promoting bone formation and preventing fragility fractures. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to summarise the results of the comparative analysis of representative batches of both the RGB-10 drug product and the reference medicinal product performed by physicochemical and in vitro biological methods. METHODS: A series of state-of-the-art analytical methods were applied in a comparative head-to-head manner for testing the similarity in respect to purity, content, structure and potency. RESULTS: Based on the results of the comprehensive physicochemical and biological characterisation, RGB-10 proved to be highly similar to the reference medicinal product with respect to the critical quality attributes investigated. CONCLUSION: The results of the quality comparability study demonstrated similarity of RGB-10 to the reference medicinal product, providing the scientific basis for conducting a specifically designed clinical programme, and supported registration of the Marketing Authorisation Application of RGB-10 in the EU.