Samsung and Bioepis launch third Humira biosimilar in Europe

Hot on the heels of Amgen, Samsung Bioepis and Biogen have announced the launch of their own biosimilar version of Abbvie’s best-selling drug Humira (adalimumab) in Europe.

Like its reference product, it is authorised for use in a range of indications including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and uveitis, as well as Crohn’s disease, paediatric plaque psoriasis and idiopathic arthritis in children.

Imraldi, as the pair’s product is known, is the third anti-TNF biosimilar from Biogen’s portfolio in Europe, alongside its own version of Amgen’s Enbrel, known as Benpali, and of Janssen’s Remicade, known as Flixabi.  

The launch sets up Imraldi to go head-to-head with Amgen’s Amgevita and Novartis’ Hyrimoz for a share of Humira’s unrivalled sales, which reached $18 billion in global revenue last year - $4 billion of this was in Europe alone.

“We are proud to be pioneering innovation in biosimilars to help transform the lives of people in Europe with chronic autoimmune conditions,” remarked Ian Henshaw, Global Head of Biosimilars at Biogen. “With the addition of Imraldi to our anti-TNF biosimilar offering, we are increasing physician choice and patient access in Europe to affordable treatments across disease areas.”

Matt Fellows