SEOUL, Feb. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Bioepis Co., a South Korean biopharmaceutical company, said Friday that global sales of its five biosimilar products, outside of the South Korean market, jumped 11 percent on-year in 2021.
The combined sales of the five biosimilars — Infliximab, Etanercept, Adalimumab, Trastuzumab and Bevacizumab — came to around US$1.25 billion last year, compared with $1.12 billion a year earlier, the company said.
The company cited earnings reports of its global partners — Oganon International and Biogen Inc.
Samsung Bioepis is a joint venture between Biogen and Samsung Biologics Co., one of the world’s major contract drug manufacturers.
Samsung Biologics, the biotech arm of South Korea’s Samsung Group, earlier announced that it has reached a deal with Biogen to buy the U.S. drugmaker’s entire stake in Samsung Bioepis for US$2.3 billion.
Samsung Biologics said the payment for the shares will be made in installments over the next two years, and full ownership will take effect at the time the first payment of $1 billion is made.
Samsung Bioepis won approval from U.S. and European authorities for the sale of its ophthalmology biosimilar, Byooviz, which will become the firm’s sixth biosimilar to be marketed.
Ranibizumab biosimilar, previously known as SB11, references Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis’ blockbuster medication Lucentis.
(Yonhap)