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Eye on Pharma: Samsung Bioepis' Biosimilars Brought in $175 Million Last Quarter
During the first quarter of 2019, Samsung Bioepis’ biosimilars revenue increased to $175 million, up from $128 million in the first quarter of 2018. Those numbers, say Biogen, are driven by the launch of biosimilar adalimumab, Imraldi.
During the first quarter of 2019, Samsung Bioepis’ biosimilars revenue increased to $175 million, up from $128 million in the first quarter of 2018. Those numbers, say Biogen, are driven by the launch of biosimilar adalimumab, Imraldi.
Biogen, which together with its partner Samsung BioLogics forms Samsung Bioepis, reported its first quarter 2019 financial results on April 24.
The partnership has 3 biosimilars that are currently in the marketplace: a biosimilar etanercept (Benepali) referencing Enbrel; Imraldi, referencing Humira; and a biosimilar infliximab, sold as Flixabi in the European Union and as Renflexis in the United States, referencing Remicade.
Benepali sales were up 3% year over year, for a total of $124 million in revenue. Flixabi was up 123% year over year, for $15 million in revenue. Imraldi, which was launched in October 2018, was up 114% quarter over quarter, for $36 million in revenue.
These numbers come after reports that biosimilar adalimumab in general—and Imraldi in particular—are off to a strong start in Europe. IQVIA data released in the first quarter of the year show that in Germany, which had the most biosimilar adalimumab options available in November 2018, the greatest percentages of patients who switched from Humira to another option were transitioned to Imraldi (37%). Sandoz’s Hyrimoz and Amgen’s Amgevita trailed behind at 15% and 12%, respectively.
In the United Kingdom, which was responsible for the most consumption of brand-name Humira in the European Union as of September 2018, Imraldi was awarded 45% of the market via a centralized tender. Amgevita and Sandoz were each awarded roughly one-fourth of the market, and Mylan’s Hulio was awarded approximately 5% of the market.
According to IQVIA, “It is Samsung with Imraldi that has won out so far in the 2 markets that matter the most: Samsung has the largest potential market in the United Kingdom and has shown the most success in acquiring Humira patients in Germany.”
Samsung Bioepis continues to develop other biosimilar agents; currently in the drug maker’s pipeline are FDA- and European Medicines Agency—approved trastuzumab biosimilar Ontruzant, a bevacizumab biosimilar undergoing a phase 3 study, a ranibizumab biosimilar undergoing a phase 3 study, and an eculizumab biosimilar currently in phase 1 clinical trials.
Escaping the Void: All Things Biosimilars With Craig & G
May 4th 2025To close out the Festival of Biologics, Craig Burton and Giuseppe Randazzo from the Association for Accessible Medicines and the Biosimilars Council tackle the current biosimilar landscape and how the industry can emerge from the "biosimilar void."
How AI Can Help Address Cost-Related Nonadherence to Biologic, Biosimilar Treatment
March 9th 2025Despite saving billions, biosimilars still account for only a small share of the biologics market—what's standing in the way of broader adoption and how can artificial intelligence (AI) help change that?
The Trump Administration’s Drug Price Actions and Why US Prices Are Already Sky-High
May 17th 2025While the Trump administration’s latest executive order touts sweeping drug price cuts through international benchmarking, the broader pharmaceutical pricing crisis in the US reveals a far more complex web of development costs, profit incentives, and absent price controls—raising the question of whether any single policy, including potential drug tariffs, can truly untangle it.
