The image shows Samsung Bioepis headquarters in Songdo, Incheon (Image courtesy of Samsung Bioepis)
SEOUL, Feb. 12 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Bioepis Co., the biosimilar drug development arm of Samsung Group, said Thursday it plans to launch its ophthalmology biosimilar, Opuviz, in the United States in 2027.
Opuviz, a biosimilar referencing Eylea, a blockbuster drug developed by U.S.-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., received sales approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2024. The product was launched in South Korea the same year, the company said in a press release.
Samsung Bioepis had been involved in patent disputes in the U.S. with Regeneron and with Germany’s Bayer AG, which holds exclusive sales rights for Eylea outside the U.S., a company spokesperson said.
The company said it recently signed separate licensing agreements with Regeneron and Bayer, clearing the way for the commercialization of Opuviz in global markets.
Samsung Bioepis launched Opuviz in Britain last month and plans to introduce the product in other European countries starting in April.
Global sales of Eylea totaled 14 trillion won (US$9.6 billion) in 2024, including 9 trillion won in the U.S. market.
(Yonhap)
