FDA Approves Wezlana, a Lower-Cost biosimilar Alternative to Stelara for Treating Inflammatory Diseases

FDA approves Wezlana, a biosimilar to Stelara, for treatment of multiple inflammatory diseases including psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.

Wezlana is interchangeable with Stelara, allowing substitution at the pharmacy level without consulting the prescriber.

Biosimilars can provide effective treatment options at potentially lower costs compared to brand name biologics.

Wezlana was approved based on evidence demonstrating high similarity to Stelara in structure, function, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, safety, and efficacy.

Like Stelara, Wezlana has risks including increased infections, malignancies, hypersensitivity reactions, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome.