After many years of debate the US are one step closer to approving the use of biosimilars. On 7 January, an FDA advisory panel unanimously voted that a drug made by Sandoz, the generics arm of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis, should be accepted as a replacement for filgrastim (Neupogen) a drug used to boost the immune system in patients undergoing chemotherapy. A number of biosimilars are available in Europe, where the products have been allowed since 2005. The FDA is expected to make a final decision in May.