New deal keeps Humira competitors off US shores till 2023

The arrival of competition for Humira (adalimumab), the world’s best-selling drug, in its most lucrative market, remains comfortably far away for AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) after the settlement of a patent dispute.

Samsung Bioepis, the joint venture between Samsung BioLogics and US biotech major Biogen (Nasdaq: BIIB), has announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with the US drugmaker settling all pending patent litigation between the two companies and clearing the way for the worldwide commercialization of SB5, a biosimilar referencing Humira.

Under the terms of the agreement, the biosimilar can be launched in Europe from October 16 this year and, if approved, in the USA from June 30, 2023 onwards.