The Mundipharma network of independent associated companies has expanded its partnership with biopharma company Celltrion Healthcare to now include exclusive distribution rights to trastuzumab biosimilar, Herzuma, in seven EU markets.
Partnership
This is the third biosimilar deal between Celltrion Helthcare and Mundipharma, and will strengthen Mundipharma’s position in the biosimilar market, which is projected to help stretched European healthcare systems make significant savings up to the year 2020.
“We are pleased to be partnering once again with Mundipharma on the commercialisation of our trastuzumab biosimilar,” said Man Hoon Kim, president and CEO of Celltrion Healthcare. “They have a proven track record of launching biosimilars in Europe, working effectively across multiple healthcare systems and demonstrating local in-market expertise. This alliance enables us to continue to pursue our commitment to delivering effective and affordable medicines which benefit healthcare systems, healthcare professionals and patients.”
Herzuma is a biosimilar of the reference biologic i.v. Herceptin and was granted marketing authorisation earlier this year (19 February 2018). It received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending its approval at the end of 2017 for the treatment of HER-2 positive early breast cancer in the neo adjuvant and adjuvant setting, metastatic breast cancer and metastatic gastric cancer in adults.
“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Celltrion Healthcare and add an important medicine to our already successful biosimilar commercial platform,” commented Richard Trollope, commercial head of Oncology and Biosimilars at Mundipharma. “Celltrion Healthcare’s decision to entrust us with a third biosimilar from their portfolio is testament to the insight and experience we have developed from successfully launching two previous monoclonal antibody biosimilars. With Remsima (infliximab) we achieved market leading status in the majority of our markets, and we are already seeing strong market uptake with our newest biosimilar medicine Truxima (rituximab) across those markets where we have distribution rights.
“We look forward to, once again, using our expertise in biosimilars to navigate the complex European environment and enable Herzuma to help healthcare economies deliver better value to patients.”