Sept 3 (Reuters) – India’s Cipla said on Thursday its U.S. unit entered an exclusive partnership with China’s Qilu Pharmaceutical to license a biosimilar version of Merck’s cancer drug Keytruda for the U.S. market.
Here are more details:
• Under the agreement, Qilu will handle development, regulatory approvals, manufacturing and supply of QL2107, a biosimilar version of Merck’s Keytruda, while Cipla USA will be responsible for commercialization and sales in the United States.
• QL2107 was developed to offer patients a more affordable treatment option that matches the original cancer therapy’s safety and efficacy profile.
• Cipla said the agreement supports its strategy to expand its oncology-focused biosimilars portfolio, leveraging Qilu’s research and manufacturing capabilities and Cipla’s U.S. commercial network.
• Keytruda, until recently the world’s top-selling drug, is used against 20 different kinds of cancerous tumors and 45 types and stages of cancer. Merck is set to lose patent protection for Keytruda in 2028.
(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by Diti Pujara)
