YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP FIVE BIOSIMILARS DEALS OF 2016

After another milestone year, here are our picks for the top-five biggest deals in the world of biosimilars in 2016:

1) As we reported in January 2016, Mylan N.V. and Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. entered into an exclusive agreement to jointly develop, manufacture, and commercialize six of Momenta’s current biosimilar medications, one of which is abatacept, a rheumatoid arthritis treatment.  While each company will equally share costs and profits with respect to the products, Mylan made an upfront cash payment of $45 million to Momenta, and could pay up to $200 million if certain milestones are reached.

2) As we reported in March 2016, AbbVie and Boehringer Ingelheim announced that they are collaborating to develop BI 655066, an anti-IL-23 monoclonal biologic antibody in Phase 3 development for psoriasis and also being evaluated as a treatment for Crohn’s disease, psoriatic arthritis and asthma. The companies reported that AbbVie made an initial upfront payment of $595 million, and Boehringer Ingelheim will be eligible to receive additional payments if other benchmarks are met.

3) As we reported in July 2016, AstraZeneca entered a licensing agreement with LEO Pharma to develop and commercialize tralokinumab, a biologic that has completed a Phase IIb trial for atopic dermatitis, and brodalumab, which is under regulatory review to treat plaque psoriasis. LEO Pharma made an upfront payment to AstraZeneca of $115 million for the exclusive, global rights to tralokinumab in atopic dermatitis and any future additional dermatology indications. LEO Pharma also agreed to pay AstraZeneca up to $1 billion in commercially-related milestones and up to mid-teen tiered percentage royalties on product sales.

4) As we reported in September 2016, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. entered into an agreement to develop and commercialize fasinumab, an investigational NGF antibody currently under development by Regeneron as a treatment for osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. Teva made an initial upfront payment of $250 million to Regeneron, and the companies will share equally in the ongoing R&D costs (estimated at approximately $1 billion) and the value of the commercialized product.

5) As we reported in October 2016, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Celltrion, Inc. and Celltrion Healthcare entered into an exclusive partnership to commercialize Celltrion’s biosimilar candidates rituximab and trastuzumab.

Happy New Year from all of us at Big Molecule Watch, and we look forward to another exciting year of biosimilars deals and industry news in 2017!