Shanghai Henlius Biotech has established a partnership with Getz Pharma Limited to commercialise Handayuan (HLX03), an adalimumab biosimilar, in numerous Asian and African countries.
Getz Pharma will be able to market the product in Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Nigeria, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, as well as any other territories mutually agreed upon, under the terms of the licencing and supply agreement.
Henlius’ first monoclonal antibody for autoimmune therapy, HLX03, was self-developed. The biosimilar is based on Humira, which had sales of $20.7 billion in 2021, making it the highest-grossing medication in the world that wasn’t a COVID-19 vaccination. Humira has been approved for more than ten indications around the world, and it is a recommended medicine in North American and European autoimmune disease management recommendations.
The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China has approved HLX03 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, uveitis, and plaque psoriasis. Jiangsu Wanbang is in charge of HLX03’s marketing in China.
“In the future, Henlius will actively collaborate with more global industry leaders, maximising the value of biosimilars and accelerating diversified innovation to develop more products based on clinical and market needs to deliver more affordable products to patients worldwide,” Henius said in a statement.