Epirus biosimilars, hematology, cancer news
Epirus will reduce headcount by 40% to reprioritize its pipeline to focus exclusively on developing biosimilars for rare diseases. The company will suspend development of its Phase III-ready lead program BOW015, a biosimilar of Remicade infliximab, and reallocate resources to develop preclinical compounds BOW080, a biosimilar of Soliris eculizumab, to treat ultra-rare blood disorders and BOW070, a biosimilar of Actemra tocilizumab, to treat Castleman’s disease. Epirus said the decision to suspend BOW015 is based on cost savings, not technical reasons, and will evaluate options for the program, including a partnership or divestiture. The company said it is “taking this action in response to the evolving biosimilar competitive and business landscape, in order to focus on markets that are more targeted and may yield marketed products through a more capital-efficient development pathway.” ...