Reuters | Hospira Inc (HSP.N) has won European approval for a version of Amgen Inc.’s white-blood cell boosting drug Neupogen, as it makes more inroads in the fledgling market for generic biotechnology medicines.

The Lake Forest, Illinois-based company on Thursday announced the
approval of its version of filgrastim, which it will market under the
brand name Nivestim.

In a late-stage clinical study, Nivestim showed comparable efficacy to
Neupogen with a similar adverse event profile, Hospira said.

Hospira’s version will be the fifth biogeneric of Neupogen approved for
the European market, Hospira said.

The product is Hospira’s second biogeneric approved in Europe. It is
also selling Retacrit, a generic version of Amgen’s anemia treatment
Epogen.