Amgen takes to Europe with its Humira biosimilar

Amgen ($AMGN) submitted its copy of AbbVie's ($ABBV) blockbuster Humira to European regulators, angling to siphon revenues from the world's top-selling drug as rivals develop biosimilars of its own medicines. The company filed its ABP 501 with the European Medicines Agency, making its case with Phase III data in which the treatment met its primary and secondary endpoints of improving rheumatoid arthritis symptoms at a rate similar to Humira with a comparable safety profile. Humira brings in nearly $13 billion a year for AbbVie but is slated to lose patent protection next year, making it a target for biosimilars developers including Novartis ($NVS), Samsung and Baxalta ($BXLT). Release