Mundipharma adds breast cancer biosimilar to its portfolio with Celltrion deal

Mundipharma has strengthened its partnership with biopharmaceutical group Celltrion Healthcare by securing rights to its trastuzumab biosimilar.

As per terms of the deal, Mundipharma - a global network of privately owned independent companies - has acquired distribution and marketing rights in seven European countries for Herzuma (trastuzumab), a biosimilar of Roche’s blockbuster Herceptin.

The biosimilar was granted marketing authorisation last month following a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for HER-2-positive early breast cancer in the neo-adjuvant and adjuvant setting.

Additionally Herzuma was also recommended for patients with metastatic breast cancer and metastatic gastric cancer in adults.

Commenting on the partnership, Man Hoon Kim, president and CEO of Celltrion Healthcare, said: “We are pleased to be partnering once again with Mundipharma on the commercialisation of our trastuzumab biosimilar.

“They have a proven track record of launching biosimilars in Europe, working effectively across multiple healthcare systems and demonstrating local in-market expertise.”

This will be the third biosimilar Mundipharma and Celltrion has launched in the EU, following Remsima (infliximab) and Truxima (rituximab), biosimilars of Johnson and Johnson’s Remicade and Roche’s MabThera.

Richard Trollope, commercial head of oncology and biosimilars at Mundipharma, said: “Celltrion Healthcare’s decision to entrust us with a third biosimilar from their portfolio is a testament to the insight and experience we have developed from successfully launching two previous monoclonal antibody biosimilars.

“With Remsima, 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 across those markets where we have distribution rights.”

Meanwhile, both Johnson and Johnson and Roche are feeling the sting from the biosimilar onslaught, with analysts predicting the latter will see its blockbuster Herceptin take a 9% drop in sales this year.