Indian drugmaker Cadila Healthcare Ltd said on Tuesday it launched in India the first biosimilar version of the anti-inflammatory medicine adalimumab, the world's top-selling drug, at a fifth of its U.S. price. Adalimumab was approved globally in 2002 and has been the most preferred drug for patients suffering from auto immune disorders.
The drug's branded version is sold under the name Humira by U.S. firm AbbVie Inc, and costs $1,000 for a vial in the United States. Humira had sales of $3.26 billion in the quarter ended September, accounting for 65 percent of AbbVie's total revenue.
Cadila will launch its version under the name Exemptia for treating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Biosimilars are products that are highly similar to the original medicinal product. They have a similar level of efficacy and safety and provide additional advantage to patients in terms of affordability and accessibility. Cadila’s biosimilar is the first to be launched by any company in the world and is a finger print match with the original in terms of safety, purity and potency of the product, the company said.
A price of $200 a vial would still keep the drug out of reach for most people in India, where more than 70 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day and health insurance is scarce. About 12 million people in India suffer from these disorders, Cadila said in a statement.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/09/us-cadila-health-humira-india-idUSKBN0JN0X820141209
