China-based Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience Co., Ltd (SHA: 688062) has announced a licensing and supply agreement with Filipino firm UNILAB, focusing on Mabwell’s biosimilar version of AbbVie’s (NYSE: ABBV) Humira (adalimumab). According to the deal terms, UNILAB will handle the local regulatory filing and marketing efforts in the Philippines. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Global Journey of Humira and Mabwell’s Biosimilar
Humira, a biologic drug first approved globally in the US in 2002, arrived in China in 2010. Mabwell’s biosimilar version became the 7th to gain approval in March 2022, covering a broad range of 8 indications, including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, uveitis, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, plaque psoriasis in children, and Crohn’s disease in children.
Strategic Partnerships and Global Expansion
In August 2017, Mabwell struck a partnership with Junshi Bio to jointly develop and commercialize the biosimilar product. The company further expanded its reach by out-licensing the product to Russia-headquartered Binnopharm Group for Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union members in December of last year. Most recently, Sothema, the largest pharmaceutical company in Morocco, obtained manufacturing and commercialization rights to the product in Morocco through a licensing deal with Mabwell.-Fineline Info & Tech
