Biocon, Sandoz partner for immunology and cancer biosimilars' development

Second large global tie-up for an Indian company after Mylan

Biocon has signed with Sandoz, the generics arm of the $48.52-billion Swiss Pharma giant Novartis to jointly invest and co-develop, manufacture and market, a new range of biosimilars in immunology and cancer for the global market.

Both firms will have an equal share in the development of biosimilars — a drug that is similar to an existing biological drug and that needs to be approved for safety, purity, and potency by regulators; manufacture and have cost and profit share business model. While Sandoz will take the product commercially in the regulated US and Europe markets, Biocon will have rights to market in the rest of the world, which includes India.

"This synergistic partnership (with Sandoz) will enable us to scale up our capabilities for an ‘end to end’ play in the global biosimilars space. We remain committed to pursuing our mission of developing biopharmaceuticals that have the potential to benefit a billion patients across the globe,” said Biocon Chairperson & Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw in a statement.

Biocon already has a global tie-up with Mylan, the US generic Pharma firm that will take its first set of biosimilars in the developed market. Last year, Biocon got the approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration (USFDA) for its first biosimilar of Trastuzumab that will be sold by Mylan in these markets. Both firms have also resubmitted the filings — trastuzumab and pegfilgrastim in Europe.

Biocon has taken the insulin glargine in Japan, Trastuzumab & Bevacizumab biosimilars in India and rh-Insulin, Insulin Glargine and biosimilar Trastuzumab in few emerging markets.

Sandoz also has a line-up of five biosimilars that it will take to market by 2020.

"Our collaboration with Sandoz will bolster our existing global biosimilars portfolio comprising biosimilar antibodies & insulin analogs and will enable us to address the next wave of global biosimilars opportunities.” Arun Chandavarkar, CEO and Joint MD, Biocon said.

Biocon and Sandoz have not revealed the biosimilars of drugs that they will be co-develop in the future.

Sandoz is committed to increasing patient access to high-quality biosimilars and has five biosimilars currently marketed worldwide, as well as a rich global pipeline. Sandoz is well placedto strengthen its position in the biosimilars space based on its experience and capabilities in development, manufacturing and commercialisation, the statement said.  

Biocon stock closed Rs 11.40 or 2.07 per cent lower at Rs 539.60 on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Thursday.