BRIEF—Lotus licenses Aranesp biosimilar from Chong Kun Dang

Taiwan generics and biosimilars supplier Lotus Pharmaceuticals (a subsidiary of privately-owned US drugmaker Alvogen) signed a licensing deal with the South Korean pharma Chong Kun Dang (CKD) Pharmaceutical.

The deal granted Lotus the exclusive right to commercialize CKD's biosimilar of Amgen’s Aranesp (darbepoetin alfa) - the second generation epoetin to treat chronic renal failure - in Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

With the Aranesp biosimilar, Lotus now has five copy medicines in its pipeline. The other four are bevacizumab, adalimumab, trastuzumab and teriparatide.