Under the terms of the agreement, China-based Huahai will gain exclusive commercialization rights for four biosimilars developed by Oncobiologics and manufactured in China at a Huahai’s biologicals facility for the China market. Huahai will also establish a co-development and commercialization partnership for launching the biosimilars in more than 30 developed countries, including Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan and the US.

Huahai is a leader in small molecule pharmaceuticals in China, and was the first company in China to receive finished product manufacturing approval from FDA.

The products include biosimilar versions of cancer and immune disease treatments Avastin (bevacizumab), Herceptin (trastuzumab), Humira (adalimumab) and Rituxan (rituximab). The four biosimilars represent annual global revenues of more than US$40 billion with more than US$20 billion in the countries covered by the agreement between the two companies.

Vice Chairman of Zhejiang Huahai and CEO of Huahai US, Mr Jun Du, said that the partnership is ‘an important step toward introducing affordable, high quality biotherapeutics to China’. Adding that ‘through this partnership, we look forward to establishing a world class biologic[al]s operation in China while also participating in the very promising biosimilars market in the developed world.’

This is not the first collaboration for biosimilars that Oncobiologics has entered into. In November 2011, the company made a deal with Boston Oncology to license, manufacture and commercialize four of Oncobiologics’ biosimilars in the Middle East and North African (MENA) regions [1]. In February 2013, the company made a deal with Viropro to manufacture and commercialize six monoclonal antibody biosimilars in 70 countries excluding China [2].

Oncobiologics and Huahai intend to seek regional partners to drive commercialization of the four biosimilars in the 30 countries covered by the agreement, and are planning to launch their first product by late 2016.

Related article

Top developments in biosimilars during 2012

References

1.  GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. The latest biosimilars agreements [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2013 May 24]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/The-latest-biosimilars-agreements

2.  GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Oncobiologics and Viropro make biosimilar deal [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2013 May 24]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Oncobiologics-and-Viropro-make-biosimilar-deal

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