Pharma News
Canadian firm Bausch + Lomb signs agreement on Lucentis biosimilar
Canadian eye health specialists Bausch + Lomb have signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Stada and its development partner Xbrane to develop and commercialize a Lucentis biosimilar in Canada and the US.
Mycenax sells tocilizumab biosimilar to Richter
Taiwanese biosimilars developer Mycenax announced on 28 April 2020 that it had made a deal with Hungary-based Gedeon Richter (Richter) regarding its tocilizumab biosimilar.
Dr Reddy’s buys Wockhardt plant and Strides acquires 18 ANDAs
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (Dr Reddy’s) is to acquire US$260 million worth of Wockhardt’s business including a major manufacturing facility in India, while Strides is to acquire 18 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) for the US market.
FDA’s response to coronavirus
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a comprehensive statement regarding effects on the supply chain and inspections of plants overseas.
Roche continues litigation in India and receives fine in Romania
Switzerland-based pharmaceutical giant Roche is continuing to pursue legal action in India over a trastuzumab similar biologic and has recently been fined in Romania for delaying the entry of biosimilars to the market.
New biosimilars partnerships from Alvotech and Biocon
Alvotech has formed an exclusive partnership with JAMP Pharma (JAMP) for the commercialization of its biosimilars in Canada, while Biocon has expanded its collaboration with Equillium to include Australia and New Zealand.
Amgen to buy out Japanese partner Astellas
US-based biotech giant Amgen has announced that it will dissolve its joint venture with the Japanese company Astellas in order to operate the unit independently. This means Astellas will become a wholly-owned Amgen affiliate.
Celltrion to build facility in China and increase new drug output
South Korean biotechnology company Celltrion has announced plans to build its first overseas factory in China. The company also intends to release one new biosimilar per year until 2030.
Merck to create spin off for women’s health and biosimilars
US pharma giant Merck is to create a spin-off company for its women’s health, biosimilars and legacy products, allowing the main company to focus on blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab).
US health insurers partner with generics maker Civica
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), a federation of health insurers in the US, has formed a partnership with generics manufacturer Civica Rx to reduce the costs of generic drugs.
Coherus signs licensing deal for bevacizumab biosimilar in the US
US-based Coherus BioSciences (Coherus) announced on 13 January 2020 that it had entered into a licensing agreement with Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Innovent Biologics (Innovent) for its bevacizumab product, IBI305.
Top 10 most read GaBI Online articles in 2019
It has once again been a busy year for biosimilars. One of the most important milestones for biosimilars in 2019 was the World Health Organization (WHO) pilot programme to prequalify rituximab and trastuzumab biosimilars. Other subjects of interest for biosimilars were US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) approvals, naming and regulation of biosimilars, as well as biosimilar guidance, uptake and switching.
Mundipharma and Samsung Bioepis partner for biosimilars in Hong Kong and Taiwan
Mundipharma announced on 13 January 2020 that it had entered into a partnership with Korea-based Samsung Bioepis (Samsung and Biogen’s joint venture) to commercialize four biosimilar candidates from Samsung Bioepis in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Japanese firms to collaborate on Eylea biosimilar
Japanese pharmaceutical firms Gene Techno Science and Kishi Kasei announced on 2 December 2019 an agreement for the joint development of an aflibercept biosimilar, a treatment for macular degeneration to rival the reference drug Eylea.
Samsung Bioepis expands biosimilars agreement with Biogen
Korean biosimilars giant Samsung Bioepis has extended its commercialization agreement with Biogen to include biosimilars to two ophthalmology drugs, Lucentis (ranibizumab) and Eylea (aflibercept). The agreement also allows Biogen to commercialize Samsung’s blockbuster anti-inflammatories in Europe for an additional five years.
Alvotech signs agreements with Stada and Yas Holding
Alvotech has entered into a strategic biosimilars collaboration with German company Stada. The company has also announced a significant investment from Abu Dhabi-based company Yas Holding for the exclusive supply of biosimilars in the Middle East and North Africa.
Lupin to sell its Japanese arm and Sandoz to acquire Aspen’s Japanese business
On 11 November 2019, India-based Lupin announced that it has agreed to sell its entire stake in its Japanese subsidiary Kyowa Pharmaceutical Industry Co to Japan-based private equity firm Unison Capital for an enterprise value of Yen 57.36 billion.
Alvogen gains exclusive rights to market parathyroid biosimilar in three countries
American pharmaceuticals firm Alvogen has announced exclusive commercialization agreements to distribute and market a teriparatide biosimilar in Canada, Israel and South Korea.
Biocon acquires Pfizer research facility and signs licensing agreement with Evotec
India-based biologicals specialist Biocon has announced the acquisition of a research and development facility from Pfizer Healthcare India Ltd and signed a strategic licensing agreement for an early-stage biosimilar with Evotec Biologics.
Lupin to sell Japanese injectables business and collaborates with German drugmaker on anticancer treatment
India-based generics manufacturer Lupin Ltd – the eighth biggest generics company in the world – has announced the sale of its Japanese injectables business to a subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) largest pharmaceutical manufacturer.
Further collaborations formed to penetrate China’s generics market
The Chinese pharmaceutical market is the second largest in the world, and generic drugs make up 70% of its value. Continued growth of China’s generics industry is anticipated owing to rapid population ageing and government policies to promote generics [1]. It is therefore not surprising that generic drug manufacturers are keen to penetrate this market, and indeed over the last few months there have been a number of collaborations with this objective [2-4]. Most recently, Japanese drugmakers Eisai and Nichi-Iko Pharmaceutical entered into a collaboration agreement to sell generic drugs in China, while Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (Sun Pharma) partnered with China Medical System Holdings (CMS) to develop and commercialise generics in China.
Celltrion contracts Lonza to manufacture autoimmune treatment Remsima
South Korean biosimilars manufacturer Celltrion have announced a deal with Swiss contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) Lonza to produce its autoimmune biosimilar Remsima at a facility in Singapore.
Shanghai Pharma and Russia’s Biocad form joint venture to sell cancer and autoimmune drugs in China
Shanghai Pharmaceuticals Holding and Russia’s Biocad Pharmaceutical have agreed to form a joint venture to develop, manufacture and market cancer and autoimmune disease treatments in China.
Sandoz makes deal with Polpharma for natalizumab biosimilar
Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, and Poland-based Polpharma Biologics announced on 3 September 2019 that they had signed a worldwide agreement giving Sandoz commercialization rights to Polpharma’s candidate natalizumab biosimilar (PB006).
Huons enters biosimilar market while private equity firm PAG invests in Hisun BioRay
Huons has announced its plans to enter the biosimilar market, and private equity firm PAG has acquired a controlling interesting in Hisun Pharmaceutical’s biopharmaceutical subsidiary, Hisun BioRay.
Alvotech and Cipla Gulf partnership announced
On 29 July 2019, pharmaceutical companies Alvotech and Cipla Gulf announced that they have entered into an exclusive partnership for the commercialization of an adalimumab biosimilar (AVT02), in a selection of emerging markets.
Agreement between Hikma and Civica to reduce US generic drug shortages
Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc and Civica Rx announced a five-year agreement on 23 July 2019. Under the agreement, Hikma will manufacture and supply 14 essential sterile injectable medications for Civica. It will use Hikma's abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) and Civica's labelling and National Drug Code (NDC). The full list of medications included in the agreement, that are often in short supply in US hospitals, will be publicly announced in the near future. Initial shipments are expected by the end of 2019.
WHO essential medicines list: new lung cancer medicines rejected
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of ‘essential medicines’, received a biennial update on 9 July 2019. It added 28 drugs but left out several new treatments for lung cancer.
Prestige and Pharmapark make deal for trastuzumab biosimilar
Singapore-based Prestige BioPharma (Prestige) and Russia-based Pharmapark announced on 8 July 2019 that they had signed an exclusive partnership and supply agreement for Prestige’s candidate trastuzumab biosimilar (HD201) in Russia.
Celltrion and Nan Fung Group form joint venture for copy biologicals in China
South Korean biosimilars firm Celltrion and Hong Kong-based Nan Fung Group announced on 18 July 2019 that the two companies had formed a joint venture, Vcell Healthcare, with the aim of developing and commercializing copy biologicals in China.
STADA and Xbrane strengthen biosimilars collaboration
German generics giant Stada Arzneimittel (Stada) and Swedish biotech company Xbrane Bioscience (Xbrane) announced on 31 May 2019 that they have expanded their strategic biosimilar development partnership.
Boehringer Ingelheim finally signs licensing deal for Humira biosimilar
Boehringer Ingelheim (Boehringer) has finally given in and signed a licensing deal for its Humira biosimilar, Cyltezo (adalimumab), in the US.
Sandoz and EirGenix make deal for trastuzumab biosimilar
Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis, announced on 30 April 2019 that it had signed an agreement with Taiwan’s EirGenix to market a proposed trastuzumab biosimilar.
Alvotech signs agreement for ustekinumab biosimilar Stelara in Japan
Iceland-based biopharmaceutical company Alvotech and Japan-based Fuji Pharma announced on 9 April 2019 that they had made a binding agreement for the exclusive partnership and supply to commercialize Alvotech’s ustekinumab biosimilar, Stelara, in Japan.
Alteogen gains patent on SC trastuzumab biosimilar
South Korean biologicals company Alteogen announced on 27 March 2019 that it had gained a patent for a subcutaneous version (ALT LS2) of its candidate trastuzumab biosimilar (ALT L2).
First Chinese biologicals maker receives EMA GMP certification
China-based WuXi Biologics announced on 20 March 2019 that it had received good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification from the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Belgian companies make biosimilars agreement
Belgian companies SYnAbs and Univercells announced on 20 April 2019 the signing of a service agreement for an undisclosed monoclonal antibody biosimilar.
Celltrion has renewed success with leukaemia biosimilar Truxima and expands markets in Europe and Latin America
In recent months, South Korean biosimilars firm Celltrion has announced a series of successes, including winning a patent case against Samsung Biogen and expansions in the European and Latin American markets.
Novo Nordisk granted exclusivity on GLP-1 agonist Victoza until 2023
Novo Nordisk has announced a settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals (Teva) giving the company at least four years before it has to compete with biosimilar versions of its diabetes injectable Victoza (liraglutide).
AbbVie and Coherus sign licensing deal for Humira biosimilar
Coherus BioSciences (Coherus) announced in January 2019 that it had entered into global settlement agreements with AbbVie which resolve all pending disputes related to CHS-1420, Coherus’s proposed biosimilar of AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab).
Under the terms of the settlement, Coherus will have global non-exclusive licence rights to commercialize CHS-1420 and will pay royalties to AbbVie. The licence period for CHS-1420 in the US will begin on 15 December 2023.
