Qilu's biosimilar Ankada needs strong commercialization strategy in China, says analyst

3 February 2020

China-based generics drugmaker Qilu Pharmaceutical received approval in December 2019 for QL-1101 under the trade name Ankada, a biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab), to treat advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Being the first approved Avastin biosimilar in China, Ankada will have the first-mover advantage, however its success will depend on a strong commercialization strategy, says analytics firm GlobalData.

As per GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Center, there are a total of 11 bevacizumab biosimilars in the pipeline in China with one in the pre-registration phase, five in Phase III and five in various early-stages, including Phase II and Phase I stage.

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