On September 8, Biocon Limited (“Biocon”) announced that, in partnership with Bahiafarma, a Brazilian public pharmaceutical laboratory, and Bionovis, a Brazilian biotechnology company, it had secured a ten-year contract to supply Biocon’s pertuzumab biosimilar, BMAB 1500/PERT-IJS, in Brazil. Pertuzumab is an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer.
Under Brazil’s Productive Development Partnership program, the partnership will be the exclusive provider of pertuzumab to Brazil’s public healthcare market, which accounts for about 70% of the total market. Pertuzumab, which is not currently manufactured in Brazil, will undergo phased localization over the ten-year term of the deal. The goals of the partnership include improving access pertuzumab, reducing costs, and growing Brazil’s domestic healthcare ecosystem. Biocon will receive milestone payments and a share of revenues.