Biosimilars Market: 5 Companies You Know and Five Companies You Need to Know

ROCKVILLE, Md., Nov. 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the world's largest biopharmaceutical products, among the highest revenue generators in the pharmaceutical industry, may face competition from so-called "biosimilars," according to a new report from healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information.    These close copies of biodrugs are coming to U.S. markets and the charge is lead by five companies.   Kalorama details the efforts of these companies in its report: Biosimilars: Global Market, Trends and Competitor Analysis.  In addition to these five household names: Sandoz, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Merck and established biopharma player Biogen, Kalorama says there are other international companies that have products on the market or near market. 

"There are many companies in this sector and we've documented that in our report, but these five have all really invested in biosimilar pipelines and are expected to make strides in the industry," said Melissa Elder, Kalorama analyst.  "These companies are targeting the big drugs: Remicade, Rituxan, Lantus, Neulasta." 

The report says early development efforts  is strengthening.  Biosimilars targeting Herceptin, Lucentis, Erbitux are up-and-coming.   Nor is it just the case of small competitors developing drugs to compete with profitable brand names.  The report says big pharma is taking a specialized interest in biosimilar development and commercialization.  Major development agreements between niche biotech and big pharma is the trend - small biotech research combined with big pharma's commercialization and financial strengths.  

The report lists many other smaller competitors who could make waves in the field.  Among them are:

• Dr. Reddy's, based in Hyderabad India, is known in the US market.  They were the first company in India to develop a biosimilar in-house. Grafeel is a human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor containing filgrastim. It is indicated for treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and in bone marrow transplants. Grafeel is marketed in India, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Brazil. The company also offers Reditux, a generic development of Rituxin, a chimeric murine/human anti-CD20; it is the world's first biosimilar monoclonal antibody. Dr. Reddy's has several other products that are on the market or in the late development stages.
  
  
• Mumbai-based Wockhardt is another leading Indian player in the biosimilar arena. The company has introduced three successful products including Biovac B, a hepatitis B vaccine, Wepox, a recombinant erythropoietin for treating anemia and Wosulin, the first r-DNA insulin developed and manufactured outside the United States and Europe.
  
  
• Fujifilm Kyowa Hakko Kirin's is the result of a joint venture with Fujifilm and Kyowa Kirin Biologics Co Ltd. to develop a biosimilar for bevacizumab and anti-VEGF humanized monoclonal antibody.   The drug is used for colon cancer, lung cancer, glioblastoma, and renal-cell carcinoma.  Through this partnership, the company wants to attain a leading position in the expanding biosimilar market. In 2016, the company's first product, "FKB327," completed its Phase III trial and FKB238 Phase III trials  (bevacizumab) has begun.
  
  
• Seoul-based LG Chem Ltd. expects to launch its first biosimilar in Korea and Japan in 2018.   "LBEC0101" is a biosimilar for Enbrel. The company entered into an agreement with Mochida Pharmaceuticals to commercialize the product in Japan. A second biosimilar, LBAL – biosimilar of Humira, is in Phase III clinical trials.
  
  
• Gedeon Richter is the largest biotechnology and pharmaceutical company in Hungary and middle sized globally, present in nearly 40 countries.   The company is fervently pursuing biosimilar development. It has established two collaborative agreements with Mochida Pharmaceutical to develop several Richter biosimilar products in 2010 and secondly, Stada, which it has two biosimilars and two monoclonal antibodies in development. In July 2016, Richter's biosimilar, teriparatide – a treatment for osteoporosis – received EC marketing authorization.  The company has a portfolio of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies including trastuzumab.  

By no means is the biosimilar market limited to these ten companies.  There are constant moves as companies develop products while protecting their own patents.  Kalorama's report details the efforts of scores of companies.  It also establishes market forecasts and predicts which biodrugs are under the heaviest competitive threat.  The report is available at:  https://www.kaloramainformation.com/Biosimilars-Global-Trends-Competitor-11277551/.  It is also part of Kalorama Information's Knowledge Center.

About Kalorama Information

Kalorama Information, a division of MarketResearch.com, supplies the latest in independent medical market research in diagnostics, biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and healthcare; as well as a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased through Kalorama's website and are also available on www.marketresearch.com and www.profound.com.

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SOURCE Kalorama Information