Is zaltrap a biosimilar of afilbercept?

Is Zaltrap (ziv-aflibercept) the same as aflibercept?

No. Zaltrap is not a biosimilar of aflibercept. It is a brand-name biologic product that contains ziv-aflibercept, which is a specific form of the aflibercept fusion protein. [1]

What is the relationship between aflibercept, ziv-aflibercept, and biosimilars?

Aflibercept is commonly associated with the active biologic used in oncology, and ziv-aflibercept is the version marketed as Zaltrap. Biosimilars are separate products designed to be highly similar to an already approved reference biologic, and they must be approved for that biosimilar indication. The information provided here does not indicate that Zaltrap is approved as a biosimilar to aflibercept. [1]

So what should patients and clinicians look for on the label?

To determine whether something is a biosimilar, check whether the product is labeled as “biosimilar” or references a specific reference product. Zaltrap is identified as ziv-aflibercept, not as a biosimilar. [1]

Sources
1. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/125148s121lbl.pdf