China-based Mabwell (Shanghai) Bioscience Co., Ltd (SHA: 688062) has announced a significant licensing and commercialization agreement with Sothema, the leading pharmaceutical company in Morocco, for its biosimilar version of AbbVie’s (NYSE: ABBV) Humira (adalimumab). According to the agreement, Sothema will handle local filling finish, registration, and commercialization of the biosimilar in Morocco. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.
Humira Biosimilar’s Global and Chinese Market Presence
Humira, a blockbuster anti-inflammatory drug, was first approved globally in the US in 2002 and reached the Chinese market in 2010. Mabwell’s biosimilar version received market approval in China in March 2022, becoming the 7th such product approved in the country. It covers 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.
Mabwell’s Partnerships and Global Expansion
In August 2017, Mabwell struck a partnership with Junshi Bio to jointly develop and commercialize the adalimumab biosimilar. Further expanding its global reach, Mabwell out-licensed the product to Russia-headquartered Binnopharm Group for distribution in Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union members in December of last year.-Fineline Info & Tech
