Aurobindo Pharma Limited announced yesterday it has bought four cell culture derived biosimilar products from Visp, Switzerland-based private entity TL Biopharmaceutical AG.
Three of the products are oncology monoclonal antibodies and include a version of Roche’s bestselling drug Avastin (bevacizumab).
A spokesman for the Indian small molecule API and finished formulations maker declined to provide information about the financials involved or the other candidates in the deal.
However, he did reveal that a manufacturing facility in Hyderabad in the Indian state of Telangana to support the deal will be commissioned by the end of the calendar year.
The plant will be the first manufacturing facility dedicated to biologics in Aurobindo's network, which currently consists of eight finished formulation plants and a number of small molecule API facilities.
While the addition of four biosimilar candidates was described in Aurobindo’s press release as a “foray” into biosimilars, the firm confirmed to us there are eight next wave biosimilars in development at its biologics R&D site, which is also in Hyderabad.