Boehringer to create biosimilars division
pharmafile | September 27, 2011 | News story | Research and Development | Boehringer, biosimilars
Boehringer Ingelheim is to tap into the growing interest in biosimilars with the creation of a division dedicated to that market.
The new venture, which the manufacturer says will be a separate business, is tasked with developing and commercialising Boehringer’s own biosimilars.
“We believe that biosimilars will become a major part of the biopharmaceutical market and will enable many more patients access to important medicines,” explained Wolfram Carius, member of Boehringer’s board of managing directors.
“We feel confident that we are able to leverage our capabilities in product development, supply and clinical expertise at Boehringer Ingelheim to offer high quality biosimilars understanding patients’ needs,” he added.
Biosimilars differ from generics in that they are close copies of, rather than identical to, off-patent biologic brands.
Growing interest in biosimilars
Boehringer’s move mirrors that of Merck & Co, which entered the sector in earnest in 2009 after creating a dedicated division, Merck BioVentures, and has shown serious intent this year in particular.
In June Merck announced it was to develop its own version of Pfizer’s ageing arthritis drug Enbrel with South Korean manufacturer Hanwha Chemical Corporation.
Hanwha has been working on HD203, a candidate biosimilar form of TNF inhibitor Enbrel (etanercept).
And in January Merck entered an agreement with contract research organisation Parexel to help boost biosimilar development: the company has said it planned to have five biosimilars in late-stage clinical trials by 2012.
Those in the pipeline include a biosimilar of Amgen’s Neupogen (filgrastim), an investigational recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) drug to prevent infections in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
Pharma manufacturers are not the only ones showing an interest in biosimilars: earlier this year South Korean electronics giant Samsung formed a joint venture with Quintiles to break into the market.
At the heart of the tie-up is the construction of a biopharmaceutical production facility in Songdo, South Korea, with the intention of getting its first biosimilars to market in 2016.
Adam Hill
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