Avesthagen in deal with Elpen for biosimilar Aranesp in parts of Europe

Avesthagen Pharma AG (APAG), a unit of India’s Avesthagen Ltd, has signed an agreement with Greek life sciences firm Elpen Pharmaceutical for the distribution of Avdesp, a biosimilar product of US biotech giant Amgen’s Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa), for the treatment of renal anemia.

The accord covers seven European Union and six non-EU territories including Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo with a collective population base of over 70 million.

"We are excited about this alliance as we start our marketing in some most interesting countries, it will give us an opportunity to know these markets and interact with its people," said Villoo Morawala Patell, chairperson of APAG.

Exploring other biosimilar opportunities

The present global sales for the product are in excess of $2.5 billion and APAG hopes to price Avdesp for it to come within the reach of a wider global community. APAG is presently engaged with many other opportunities for a number of its “biosimilars” and “biobetters” with strong principals in several countries. APAG is working with different outsourcing organizations to make sure the product come to the market at the earliest.

APAG has identified Syngene International for fill and finish, and Kemwell Bioharma as a contract manufacturing organization (CMO), and PRA International, a global CRO to conduct the carry out the Phase I Clinical Trial in The Netherlands followed by Phase III in India.