Pharma News
Axantia to market Lupin’s pegfilgrastim in the Middle East and North Africa
On 1 February 2022, Indian multinational pharmaceutical company Lupin Ltd announced that it was entering into a License, Supply and Technology Sharing agreement with Axantia, to market Lupin’s pegfilgrastim biosimilar in certain territories in the Middle East and North Africa.
Orion-CuraTeQ and Theramax-Enzene Biosciences partnerships
In January 2022, Finnish company Orion Corporation and CuraTeQ Biologics, subsidiary of India’s Aurobindo Pharma, announced their European expansion to the Baltic countries. This follows the December 2021 announcement that the UK’s Theramex entered into an agreement with India’s Enzene Biosciences to develop, register and commercialize a biosimilar of Roche’s RoActemra® (tocilizumab).
Biocon–Viatris merger expected
The merger of India’s Biocon Biologics and Viatris’ biosimilar business are reported to be in advanced stages.
Samsung to take full control of Samsung Bioepis
Korean electronics giant Samsung has made a deal with US biotechnology company Biogen Idec (Biogen) to take full ownership of their joint biosimilars venture, Korea-based Samsung Bioepis.
Top 10 most read GaBI Online articles in 2021
A review of the Top 10 most read articles reveals that biosimilars are still of most interest to readers. Some of the most memorable events for biosimilars in 2021 were recommendations for biosimilar approvals by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and by China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), formerly the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA), as well as summaries of biosimilar approvals in Uruguay and Paraguay. Other subjects of interest included naming for biosimilars in the US, the interchangeability of EU biosimilars, Federal purchases of biologicals for cancer in Brazil. Finally, how patent litigation creates barriers to US biosimilar market growth and how competition from biosimilars drives price reductions for biologicals in France was also of interest to readers.
Fresh partnerships announced for ranibizumab and trastuzumab biosimilars
Prestige BioPharma has partnered with Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (Dr Reddy’s) to commercialize their trastuzumab biosimilar, HD201, while MS Pharma has joined up with Formycon for the commercialization of its ranibizumab biosimilar, FYB201.
Spinoff updates: Merck’s Organon and Novartis’ Sandoz
Merck spinoff Organon has announced third quarter revenue of US$1.6 billion in 2021. This shows slight decline in women’s health medications but growth in biosimilar sales. Following its 2021 third quarter review, Novartis is considering the spinoff of its biosimilar division, Sandoz, as a standalone company.
Swiss Social Democrat’s for nationalization of Sandoz
In November 2021, the Social Democratic party in Switzerland urged the government to buy Novartis AG’s generics and biosimilars unit, Sandoz.
Biocon Biologics and Serum Institute Life Sciences partnership
On 16 September 2021, a strategic partnership was announced between India-based biologicals specialist Biocon Biologics Limited (BBL), and Indian vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute Life Sciences (SILS), a subsidiary of Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd.
Ustekinumab biosimilars: new international biopharma agreements
September and October 2021 saw new international agreements between biopharmaceutical companies regarding ustekinumab biosimilars. These were formed between BioFactura and Rani Therapeutics in the US, and China’s Bio-Thera Solutions and Pharmapark in Russia.
