November 7, 2019 - Fierce Pharma
After a successful partnership with its biosimilar joint venture Samsung Bioepis, Biogen has decided to expand into more drugs and China, too.
Biogen is
getting
exclusive rights to Samsung Bioepis’ biosimilar versions of two blockbuster eye drugs, namely Roche and Novartis’ Lucentis and Regeneron and Bayer’s Eylea, covering the U.S., Europe, Japan and other key markets.
The Big Biotech is also expanding its hold on three marketed anti-TNF copycats—Humira, Enbrel and Remicade biosimilars—to China.
November 7, 2019 - Fierce Pharma
Word is that Novartis’ $1 billion asset sale to Aurobindo Pharma likely won’t happen this year—and antitrust worries are to blame.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has asked for more information on a lawsuit against Aurobindo, forcing the two companies to delay the deal past its planned 2019 closure.
November 7, 2019 - Fierce Pharma
Cosette Pharmaceuticals was formed last year when it picked up the dermatology business and a creams and topicals manufacturing plant of G&W Laboratories. Now, Cosette has gone back for another of G&W’s manufacturing facilities.
Cosette has acquired G&W’s finished dose manufacturing plant in Lincolnton, North Carolina, that makes liquids. Details of the plant and terms of the deal were not disclosed.
G&W is unrelated to the drugmaker GW Pharma that makes the cannabis-based drug Epidiolex.
November 7, 2019 - Fierce Biotech
Novo Nordisk has picked up global rights to a preclinical nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) candidate from UBE Industries. The
deal
gives Novo control of UD-014, a small-molecule inhibitor of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase/vascular adhesion protein-1 (SSAO/VAP-1).
UD-014 has flown under the radar so far. Japan’s UBE has published data
linking
(PDF) the drug to improved kidney function in rats and
presented
(PDF) a mechanistic explanation of potential value of inhibiting SSAO. In a notice setting out its desire to outlicense UD-014, UBE said the drug shows “compelling efficacy in a STAM mouse NASH model.”
