BioCentury
ARTICLE | Strategy

Dissimilar priorities

Pfizer exits insulin biosimilars with Biocon to focus on antibodies, proteins

March 19, 2012 7:00 AM UTC

In the midst of pharma and big biotech's charge into biosimilars, Pfizer Inc. has apparently concluded that mAbs are higher-value opportunities than insulin products. Last week the pharma and Biocon Ltd. ended a deal for biosimilar insulins because Pfizer's priorities have changed.

Under the 2010 deal, Pfizer received rights to market Biocon's portfolio of biosimilar insulin products, including insulin and insulin glargine. Biocon retained co-exclusive rights to the products in Germany, India and Malaysia. Pfizer had exclusive rights elsewhere, except in emerging markets where the pharma shared co-exclusive rights with Biocon's regional partners (see BioCentury, Nov. 15, 2010). ...