Sandoz announced today that it has received approval for the use of Rixathon^® in Europe. Rixathon^® is a biosimilar version of Roche’s MabThera^® (rituximab) and is approved for use in all the same indications, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma), chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and immunological diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, and microscopic polyangiitis.  This approval follows the recommendation a couple months ago by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).

Another rituximab biosimilar, Celltrion’s Truxima®, was approved in Europe earlier this year.