Under the terms of the agreement, Baxter will provide expertise in clinical development and biological manufacturing, as well as in sterile injectables and global commercialisation. Momenta, on the other hand, will provide expertise in high-resolution analytics, characterisation and product and process development.

Baxter will make an upfront cash payment of US$33 million to Momenta related to the collaboration for up to six biosimilars. Additional payments for development of the compounds are contingent upon the achievement of technical, development and regulatory milestones.

Mr Ludwig Hantson, President of Baxter’s BioScience business said, ‘the collaboration with Momenta allows us to tap both companies’ expertise to expand access to these important therapies.’ He added that ‘the collaboration complements Baxter’s early-stage pipeline and allows the company to expand its leadership in biologics at a time when the global regulatory pathway for approval is becoming more clear.’

‘Momenta and Baxter share a common goal in this collaboration–to create interchangeable biologic products by taking advantage of Momenta’s innovative physicochemical and biologic characterization capabilities, coupled with a quality-by-design approach to process development,’ commented Mr Craig Wheeler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Momenta.

Baxter and Momenta expect to finalise the agreement in the first quarter of 2012.

The biosimilars business has been characterised by partnerships, which is not surprising considering that the costs of developing a typical biosimilar are estimated to be more than US$100 million and that they may take five to six years to develop– much more than a small molecule generic–reflecting the complexity of the molecules in question [1].

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Reference

1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Partnerships will drive biosimilar development [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2012 Jan 20]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Partnerships-will-drive-biosimilar-development