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ARTGs
309829, 309831, 309830, 309834
309829, 309831, 309830, 309834
309829, 309831, 309830, 309834
309829, 309831, 309830, 309834
Device/Product name
Rymti, Etera
Active Ingredient
Etanercept
Date of decision
Published
Submission type
New biosimilar medicine
ATC codes
L04AB01
Decision
Approved
What was the decision based on
The decision was based on quality (chemistry and manufacturing), nonclinical (pharmacology and toxicology), clinical (pharmacology, safety and efficacy) and risk management plan information submitted by the sponsor. The benefit-risk profile of Rymti, Etera was considered favourable for the therapeutic use approved.
What steps were involved in the decision process

Registration timeline

The following table summarises the key steps and dates for this application.

Description Date
Submission dossier accepted and first round evaluation commenced 31 October 2018
First round evaluation completed 18 April 2019
Sponsor provides responses on questions raised in first round evaluation 18 June 2019
Second round evaluation completed 9 August 2019
Delegate's overall benefit-risk assessment and request for Advisory Committee advice 5 November 2019
Sponsor's pre-Advisory Committee response 18 November 2019
Advisory Committee meeting 6 December 2019
Registration decision (Outcome) 28 January 2020
Completion of administrative activities and registration on ARTG 1 October 2020
Number of working days from submission dossier acceptance to registration decision* 226

*Statutory timeframe for standard applications is 255 working days

Date of entry onto ARTG
Original publication date
Black triangle scheme
No
Dose forms
Solution for injection
Strength
25 mg and 50 mg
Other ingredients
Sodium citrate dihydrate, monobasic sodium phosphate dihydrate, glycine, sucrose , sodium chloride, water for injections
Containers
Prefilled syringe
Pack sizes
4
Routes of administration
Subcutaneous injection
Dosage

Treatment should be initiated and supervised by specialist physicians experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis, plaque psoriasis or paediatric plaque psoriasis. Patients may self-inject only if their physician determines that it is appropriate and with medical follow-up, as necessary, after proper training in injection technique.

Patients treated with Rymti/Etera should be given the Patient Alert Card.

Dosage

Dosage is based on multiple factors, including the condition being treated and the age of the patient.

For further information, refer to the Product Information.

Pregnancy category
DDrugs which have caused, are suspected to have caused or may be expected to cause, an increased incidence of human fetal malformations or irreversible damage. These drugs may also have adverse pharmacological effects. Accompanying texts should be consulted for further details.The use of any medicine during pregnancy requires careful consideration of both risks and benefits by the treating health professional. This must not be used as the sole basis of decision making in the use of medicines during pregnancy. The TGA does not provide advice on the use of medicines in pregnancy for specific cases. More information is available from obstetric drug information services in your State or Territory.
What was approved

Rymti, Etera (etanercept) was approved for the following therapeutic use:

Rymti, Etera is indicated for the treatment of:

Adults

Rheumatoid arthritis

Active, adult rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients who have had inadequate response to one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Rymti, Etera can be used in combination with methotrexate.

Severe, active rheumatoid arthritis in adults to slow progression of disease-associated structural damage in patients at high risk of erosive disease.

Psoriatic arthritis

The signs and symptoms of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults, when the response to previous disease-modifying antirheumatic therapy has been inadequate. Etanercept has been shown to reduce the rate of progression of joint damage as measured by X-ray and to improve physical function.

Plaque psoriasis

Adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis, who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy.

Ankylosing spondylitis

The signs and symptoms of active ankylosing spondylitis in adults.

Non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis

Treatment of adults with active* non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis with objective signs of inflammation as indicated by elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and/or MRI change who have had an inadequate response to NSAIDs.

* Active disease is defined as a Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) score of ≥ 4.

Children and adolescents

Children and adolescents weighing less than 62.5 kg should not receive Rymti, Etera. These patients should be accurately dosed on a mg/kg basis with other etanercept products.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Active polyarthritis (rheumatoid factor positive or negative) in children and adolescents, aged 2 to 17 years, who have had an inadequate response to one or more DMARDs.

Active extended oligoarthritis in children and adolescents, aged 2 to 17 years, who have had an inadequate response to, or who have proved intolerant to, methotrexate.

Active enthesitis-related arthritis in adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, who have had an inadequate response to, or who have proved intolerant to, conventional therapy.

Active psoriatic arthritis in adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, who have had an inadequate response to, or who have proved intolerant to, methotrexate.

Etanercept has not been studied in children aged less than 2 years.

Paediatric plaque psoriasis

Chronic, severe plaque psoriasis in children and adolescents from 4 to 17 years, who are inadequately controlled by, or are intolerant to, other systemic therapies or phototherapies. Duration of therapy to be no longer than 24 weeks and treatment to be ceased after 12 weeks if a significant Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) response is not achieved.

What is this medicine and how does it work
Rymti, Etera (etanercept) is a biosimilar medicine to Enbrel.Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is a naturally occurring cytokine that is involved in normal inflammatory and immune responses. Pro-inflammatory molecules that are linked in a network controlled by TNF also mediate much of the joint pathology in rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis and skin pathology in plaque psoriasis.Etanercept is a human tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) p75 fragment crystallisable (Fc) fusion protein. The mechanism of action of etanercept is thought to be its competitive inhibition of TNF binding to cell surface TNFR, preventing TNF-mediated cellular responses by rendering TNF biologically inactive. Etanercept may also modulate biological responses controlled by additional downstream molecules (for example, cytokines, adhesion molecules, or proteinases) that are induced or regulated by TNF.
What post-market commitments will the sponsor undertake
  • The etanercept European Union (EU)-Risk Management Plan (RMP) (version 0.4, dated 20 June 2019, data lock point 29 May 2019), with Australian Specific Annex (version 0.3, dated 21 August 2019), included with submission PM-2018-03223-1-3, and any subsequent revisions, as agreed with the TGA will be implemented in Australia.

    An obligatory component of risk management plans is routine pharmacovigilance. Routine pharmacovigilance includes the submission of periodic safety update reports (PSURs).

    Reports are to be provided in line with the current published list of EU reference dates and frequency of submission of PSURs until the period covered by such reports is not less than three years from the date of the approval letter.

    The reports are to at least meet the requirements for PSURs as described in the European Medicines Agency's Guideline on good pharmacovigilance practices (GVP) Module VII-periodic safety update report (Rev 1), Part VII.B Structures and processes. Note that submission of a PSUR does not constitute an application to vary the registration.

  • All batches of Rymti/Etera (etanercept) imported into/manufactured in Australia must comply with the product details and specifications approved during evaluation and detailed in the Certified Product Details (CPD).

    The Certified Product Details (CPD), as described in Guidance 7: Certified Product Details of the Australian Regulatory Guidelines for Prescription Medicines (ARGPM), in PDF format, for the above products should be provided upon registration of these therapeutic goods. In addition, an updated CPD should be provided when changes to finished product specifications and test methods are approved in a Category 3 application or notified through a self-assessable change.

  • Up to 5 initial batches of Rymti/Etera (etanercept) imported into/manufactured in Australia is not released for sale until samples and/or the manufacturer's release data have been assessed and endorsed for release by the TGA Laboratories Branch. Outcomes of laboratory testing are published biannually in the TGA Database of Laboratory Testing Results.

    The sponsor should be prepared to provide product samples, reference materials and documentary evidence as defined by the TGA Laboratories branch. The sponsor must contact Biochemistry.Testing@health.gov.au for specific material requirements related to the batch release testing/assessment of the product. More information is available at TGA testing of biological medicines.

    This batch release condition will be reviewed and may be modified on the basis of actual batch quality and consistency. This condition remains in place until the sponsor is notified in writing of any variation.

  • The following clinical study report must be submitted to the TGA, as soon as possible after completion, for evaluation as Category 1 submission:
    • Study CTRI/2019/01/016851
  • For all injectable products the Product Information must be included with the product as a package insert.

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