Fresenius inks licensing agreement to commercialize proposed Aflibercept biosimilar
Fresenius, through its operating company Fresenius Kabi, is broadening its growing biopharma portfolio through a new licensing agreement with South Korea’s SamChunDang Pharm.
Under the agreement, Fresenius Kabi will exclusively commercialize SCD’s aflibercept biosimilar candidate in the United States and several countries in Latin America.
Aflibercept is used to treat a range of ophthalmic disorders, including wet age-related macular degeneration.
Under the agreement, Fresenius Kabi will commercialize the proposed aflibercept biosimilar, a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor Fc fusion protein, in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia and Mexico after successful approval by respective health agencies. SCD is responsible for the development, manufacturing and supply of the drug.
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Aflibercept is a proposed biosimilar referencing Eylea, an anti-VEGF for the treatment of ophthalmic conditions such as wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), macular edema following retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. Eylea is commercialized by Regeneron in the United States and by Bayer in other countries.
“With the commercialization of the aflibercept biosimilar, we are broadening our product portfolio with a treatment option for ophthalmic diseases. In alignment with our #FutureFresenius strategy, this marks another significant milestone for Fresenius Kabi in fulfilling our strategic objective of enhancing access to biosimilars for patients globally,” said Dr. Sang-Jin Pak, Fresenius Kabi’s president of business unit biopharma.
"We are thrilled to have finalized this agreement and are eager to move forward with the commercialization of our aflibercept biosimilar candidate upon approval. The combination of SCD’s specialized expertise in ophthalmology and Fresenius Kabi’s global commercial strength creates a robust foundation to support our shared objective of improving patient access to more affordable treatment options in ophthalmology," said Chun In Seok, CEO at SCD.
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