In its announcement, the drug maker said that its Udenyca sales are expected to be in the range of $36 million to $38 million.
Coherus BioSciences, maker of the pegfilgrastim biosimilar Udenyca, has announced its preliminary unaudited sales for the first quarter of 2019. In its announcement, the drug maker said that its Udenyca sales are expected to be in the range of $36 million to $38 million.
The company says that it will discuss its sales in further detail after the data are reported in its Form 10-Q for the quarter, and it will provide additional financial updates on May 9, 2019.
The biosimilar developer brought its pegfilgrastim biosimilar to the US market on January 3, 2019, with a comprehensive launch that included 340B hospitals and non-340B hospitals and clinics. The company launched the product at a list price of $4175 per unit, or a 33% discount to the reference pegfilgrastim, Neulasta. Udenyca’s list price matches that of Mylan’s Fulphila, the first pegfilgrastim biosimilar to launch in the United States, although these list prices do not reflect any rebates that may be provided by the respective drug makers.
The early sales numbers for the biosimilar pegfilgrastim reflect the success of what Coherus’ president and chief executive officer, Dennis M. Lanfear, has called the company’s “branded approach” to the product’s launch.
During the recent 37th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, Lanfear said that “Our approach is that of a branded launch…this has never been done before with a biosimilar.” This strategy involves a focus on payers, integrated delivery networks, and group purchasing organizations that consolidate purchasing for clinics and hospitals, as well as provider segments comprising community oncology clinics, 340B hospitals, and non-340B hospitals, he explained.
In addition to Udenyca, Coherus is currently advancing 2 additional late-stage biosimilar programs: an adalimumab biosimilar referencing Humira and an etanercept biosimilar referencing Enbrel. It is also developing ophthalmology biosimilars, including ranibizumab, referencing Lucentis, and aflibercept, referencing Eylea. It is also developing CHS-131, a novel small-molecule agent that is intended to treat both nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and multiple sclerosis.
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.
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."
Samsung Bioepis Report Signals Turning Point for US Biosimilars
May 1st 2025A wave of biosimilar approvals, aggressive pricing strategies, and a regulatory sea change are setting the stage for unprecedented momentum in the US biologics market, with 2025 already proving to be a landmark year in reshaping cost, access, and innovation across therapeutic areas.
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?
Eye on Pharma: Sandoz Files Antitrust Suit; Yuflyma Interchangeability; Costco’s Ustekinumab Pick
April 22nd 2025Sandoz's antitrust suit against Amgen, the FDA’s interchangeability designation for Celltrion’s adalimumab biosimilar, and the inclusion of an ustekinumab biosimilar in Costco’s prescription program highlight growing momentum to expand biosimilar access and affordability for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases.
President Trump Signs Executive Order to Bring Down Drug Prices
April 16th 2025To help bring down sky-high drug prices, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pushing for faster biosimilar development, more transparency, and tougher rules on pharmacy benefit managers—aiming to save billions and make meds more affordable for everyone.