Boehringer dropping ex-U.S. biosimilars programs

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Ingelheim, Germany) said it will focus its biosimilar development and partnering activities on the U.S. market and discontinue its biosimilar programs in the rest of the world.

Spokesperson Susan Holz told BioCentury that Boehringer's first U.S. priority is to launch Cyltezo, a biosmilar version of autoimmune drug Humira adalimumab from AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV). FDA and the European Commission both approved Cyltezo last year. She said the company has dropped its plans to commercialize the biosimilar in the EU due to patent litigation with AbbVie in the U.S. Holz did not elaborate on the reasons for the company’s shift in plans, but said the company “is committed to making [Cyltezo] available to U.S. patients as soon as possible and certainly before 2023.” She declined to provide details on other biosimilars in its U.S. pipeline...