Cipla launches Enbrel biosimilar in India
Cipla has launched the first biosimilar of Pfizer and Amgen’s rheumatic disorder blockbuster Enbrel in India.
The company will sell its version of Enbrel (etanercept) under the brand name Etacept which will be manufactured by China’s Shanghai CP Guojian Pharmaceutical Co. The drug signals Cipla’s entry into the biologic segment, it said, „offering an option to patients suffering from rheumatic disorders at a lower cost“.
The Mumbai-based group’s medical director Jaideep Gogtay said „the higher cost of biologics has been a major hindrance, limiting its affordability and accessibility to millions of patients“. He added that introducing Etacept at a lower cost (at 6,150 rupees, 30% less than the innovator product) „will enable access of this drug to a greater number of patients in India“.