On February 7, 2022, Biogen Inc. and Xbrane Biopharma AB announced that they had entered into a commercialization and license agreement related to Xcimzane, a certolizumab pegol biosimilar referencing CIMZIA. Under the agreement, Biogen will gain exclusive global regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial rights to Xcimzane, and Xbrane will be responsible for completing pre-clinical development. Ian Henshaw, Head of Global Biosimilars at Biogen stated, “[t]his preclinical biosimilar candidate has the potential to add another option for patients living with Rheumatoid Arthritis and other indications.” Martin Åmark, CEO of Xbrane Biopharma AB, further added, “[g]iven their vast development and commercialization experience, we are convinced that Biogen is the best possible partner we could have for Xcimzane.”
According to the press release, CIMZIA's primary indications are rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondylarthrosis, psoriasis, and Chron's disease and global sales were 1.8 billion Euro in 2020. Under the terms of the agreement, Biogen will make an upfront payment of $8 million to Xbrane, with Xbrane eligible to receive up to $80 million in potential milestone payments.
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