Acquisition deal to back European biosimilars market

Biocon Biologics Ltd has successfully completed integration of Viatris’ biosimilar business in 31 European countries.

Following the acquisition of substantially all global biosimilar business of Viatris in November 2022, and the related integration of over 70 emerging market countries in July 2023 and North America in September 2023, now that Viatris’ biosimilars operations have fully transitioned to Biocon Biologics Ltd in Europe, the company declared that this “represents another significant milestone.”

As a result of the deal, Biocon Biologics and its partners state that they will commercialise these products in the following countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia,  Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.

A report by Act4Biosimilars published earlier this month, highlighted that to support the adoption of these medicines and widen patient access across Europe, measures must be put in place to lower the financial burden of developing these medicines.

EPR Podcast Episode 21 – Biosimilars – Salim Benkhalifa, Celltrion Healthcare France

Europe’s biosimilars market

In Europe, Biocon Biologics portfolio includes seven biosimilars: Insulin Aspart and Insulin Glargine, Bevacizumab, Pegfilgrastim, Trastuzumab, Adalimumab, and Etanercept. 

The company stated that based on the IQVIA’s 2022 report: The impact of biosimilar competition in Europe, as of 2022 “the cumulative savings at list prices from the impact of biosimilar competition in Europe reached over €30 billion. Furthermore, since the launch of biosimilars these provided nearly 4.5 billion patient treatment days to European patients.”

As reported by EPR in October this year, Marechal-Jamil, Director Biosimilar Policy & Science at Medicines for Europe shared: “So far, biosimilar medicines have delivered huge access benefits for patients and savings for healthcare budgets… We need to jump start the multistakeholder policy process ensuring more biosimilar medicines development and access, as patient demand for biological medicines increases.”

“As we continue to drive innovation and invest in the future, our mission is singularly focused on the development, manufacturing, distribution, and commercialisation of these medicines in Europe and in the world,” affirmed Jozef Belcik, Head of Commercial Europe & JANZ, Biocon Biologics Ltd.