Mylan N.V. has entered into an exclusive global collaboration agreement with Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop, manufacture, and commercialize six of Momenta’s current biosimilar candidates, including Momenta’s biosimilar candidate for Orencia (abatacept), Bristol-Myers Squibb’s biologic for treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Under the agreement with Momenta, Mylan will make an up-front cash payment of $45 million and up to $200 million in contingent milestone-related payments to Momenta, with each company sharing equally in the costs and profits with respect to the products. The companies will be jointly responsible for product development, and Mylan will lead worldwide commercialization efforts. All other financial terms and product details remain confidential.

Mylan’s collaboration with Momenta builds upon Mylan’s existing biologics and insulin analog partnership with Biocon. The Biocon partnership includes six biosimilar programs (trastuzumab, pegfilgrastim, adalimumab, bevacizumab, etanercept, and filgrastim) and three insulin analogs (glargine, lispro and aspart). Five of these biosimilar programs have successfully completed Phase I clinical trials, and four of the programs are in active Phase III testing. Mylan and Biocon plan on submitting three biosimilar applications and one insulin application in the US and Europe in 2016. Mylan already has successfully launched its trastuzumab biosimilar product in India and other emerging markets.

Mylan CEO Heather Bresch commented, “Mylan’s long-stated strategy has been to strategically invest in the long-term drivers of our future growth, both through our strong internal focus on R&D and through external collaboration with industry-leading partners. Biosimilars have long been one of these areas of important future growth, both for our company and our industry, given the rapidly growing market for biologic products, the undeniable patient need for more affordable versions of these life-saving medicines, and the attractive competitive landscape for the companies that are able to successfully bring these complex products at scale to the global market. This collaboration with Momenta, which is highly complementary to our partnership with Biocon, will position us as a definitive world leader in biosimilars, with a broad portfolio of 15 biosimilar/insulin analog generic products in development and the scale required to maximize investment in this area. Looking forward, Mylan will continue to expand and diversify its portfolio into such complex products, further differentiating us from other leading generics companies and establishing us at the forefront of the biologics space, while also ensuring we maintain one of the broadest, highest quality portfolios in our industry.”

Source: Mylan