Alvotech has suffered a setback in its attempt to gain the first US FDA approval for a higher-strength biosimilar adalimumab rival to Humira, after obstacles preventing facility inspections led the agency to defer action on the firm’s AVT02 candidate.

A number of new medicines are moving closer to the EU market after the European Medicines Agency recommended in favor of their approval. 

Alvotech and Stada are on the verge of gaining the world’s second ever approval for a higher-strength Humira biosimilar, after the EMA’s CHMP endorsed the firms’ adalimumab under the names Hukyndra and Libmyris at its September meeting.

Sponsors of several new medicines are set to learn if their products are on track for pan-EU approval. One product on the list is Pfizer/Lilly’s osteoarthritis drug, tanezumab, which recently ran into trouble in the US.