Samsung Bioepis in front row as lights near green on Humira biosimilars in Europe

8 March 2017

When a UK High Court judge handed down a judgement to clear the route to market for biosimilar versions of the world’s biggest-selling prescription drug on Friday, the impact on the three companies involved was always going to be significant.

For AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), the US drugmaker seeking to defend its patents relating to Humira (adalimumab), a drug indicated for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis with global turnover of more than $16 billion and daily UK sales of around £1.4 million ($1.8 million), the ruling is undoubtedly damaging.

For Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics (FKB), the Japanese company preparing to file an application for marketing authorization for FKB327, a Humira biosimilar, it was a big step forward.

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