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/Samsung Bioepis

Samsung Bioepis is joining hands with global pharmaceutical firm Teva to tap into the global market with two immunology biosimilar candidates.

Samsung Bioepis announced on the 1st that it entered into a development and commercialization agreement with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. for SB41, a biosimilar referencing Fasenra (benralizumab) for severe eosinophilic asthma, and SB44, a biosimilar referencing Ilaris (canakinumab) for hereditary periodic fever syndromes. Fasenra was developed by AstraZeneca, and Ilaris by Novartis.

Samsung Bioepis will oversee development, regulatory approval across jurisdictions, and manufacturing for both candidate substances. Teva will handle commercialization in the U.S., Europe, and Canada.

The two sides also agreed on options to expand commercial territories down the road and pursue joint development of follow-on biosimilars. Specific contract sizes and terms were not disclosed.

This marks the third collaboration between the two companies. Following last year's joint launch of the rare disease treatment EPYSQLI in the U.S., they recently signed a commercialization deal in Canada for the ophthalmic treatment OPUVIZ. The latest agreement expands their partnership into immunology.

Kim Kyung-ah, CEO of Samsung Bioepis, remarked, "Building on our successful partnership with Teva, we are pushing ahead with collaboration on two new candidate substances. By reinforcing our pipeline across diverse disease areas, we will continue expanding the supply of biosimilars to patients and healthcare systems worldwide."

With the addition of SB41 and SB44, Samsung Bioepis' pipeline of follow-on biosimilars grew from seven to nine. The company currently markets 11 biosimilars in global markets.

                                                                                                           Kang Hye-won