Dive Brief:
- South Korean biosimilar developer Celltrion Inc. has tapped London-based Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc to market one of its copycat biologics in Middle Eastern and North African markets.
- Hikma will market Truxima, a biosimilar copy of Roche AG's blockbuster cancer drug Rituxan. Truxima was the first copycat biologic of an oncologic to be approved in Europe.
- The deal expands on a previous agreement between the two companies. Hikma already markets two of Celltrion's other biosimilars products.
Dive Insight:
Biosimilars are spreading throughout the world. The copycat biologics have been available for several years in Europe, and are gaining footholds in the U.S. market as well as other places in the world.
South Korea's Celltrion has been one of the leaders in the space. The deal with Hikma will give the company a platform to launch a third biosimilar in the Middle East and Northern Africa.
Hikma already markets Celltrion's biosimilar versions of Johnson & Johnson's rheumatoid arthritis drug Remicade (infliximab) and Roche AG's breast cancer drug Herceptin (trastuzumab) in MENA markets.
Truxima will now be added to the mix. The drug is approved for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis and microscopic polyangiitis.