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Enzene Biosciences has rolled out its version of bevacizumab, its sixth biosimilar in over two years.
Bevacizumab, used in treating metastatic colorectal cancer, was originally sold by Roche under the brand Avastin.
Enzene’s launch of bevacizumab comes a month after its biosimilar version of cetuximab (Merck’s head and neck cancer drug) was launched by Alkem Oncology. One more product is said to be in the pipeline. Pune-based Enzene is the biological arm of Alkem Laboratories.
Dr Himanshu Gadgil, Chief Executive of Enzene Biosciences, said that the latest biosimilar offering would be sold by other pharmaceutical companies including parent company Alkem. And while he did not indicate how the product may be priced by the companies, he told businessline that he expected it to be cheaper than the generic products already in the market.
Enzene’s patented continuous manufacturing process helps increase productivity by five to 10 times, he said, and that enabled the company to offer a 25-odd per cent reduction in pricing when transferred to the drugmaker that would eventually market the product.
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The company has alliances not just with local drugmakers to market its products, but also companies in Europe, the US, Australia and South Korea, he said. The next 18 months would go towards regulatory audits of its manufacturing facility, he said, so registrations in these markets could be done by early 2024.
The company has a 150-strong research team in Pune and is setting up a manufacturing facility in New Jersey, he said, which is expected to be ready by June 2024. Enzene has an alliance with the UK-based Theramex to commercialise a biosimilar of Prolia (denosumab, Amgen’s drug to treat osteoporosis) in Europe, the UK, Switzerland and Australia.
In addition to selling its products through other drugmakers, he said, some foreign companies already work with Enzene to contract manufacture difficult-to-make products.
Enzene had in January said that it had raised $50 million from Alkem Laboratories (which holds close to 90 per cent in Enzene) and new investors, Eight Roads Ventures and F-Prime Capital. The funds would be used in strengthening manufacturing capabilities and expanding in India and the US, it had said.
Biosimilar bevacizumab
The total sales of bevacizumab in India is estimated at ₹260 crore, and multiple drugmakers price a 100 mg injection between Rs 27,000 and Rs 11,000, according to industry data. Other dosages and formulations are also available at different prices.
The product is also used in the treatment of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma,
Besides bevacizumab, Enzene Biosciences has biosimilar products to treat a range of illnesses, including squamous cell cancer of the head and neck, osteoporosis, postmenopausal osteoporosis, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), rheumatoid arthritis and metastatic colorectal cancer, it said.
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