Epirus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a Boston-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the global development and commercialization of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies, and its commercialization partner, Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, have launched in India a biosimilar of infliximab, the active ingredient in Johnson & Johnson’s Remicade, a drug to treat inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ankylosing spondylitis, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis.

The biosimilar product, marketed as Infimab, will be manufactured by Reliance Life Sciences at a facility in Mumbai. Under the terms of its licensing agreement with Epirus, Ranbaxy has the rights to commercialize Infimab in other markets in Southeast Asia and North Africa. Epirus is advancing marketing approval of the biosimilar version of infliximab in targeted global markets. Epirus also plans to initiate an additional Phase III trial in Europe in early 2015.

In addition to infliximab, Epirus’s pipeline of biosimilar product candidates includes adalimumab, the active ingredient in AbbVie’s Humira, and bevacizumab, the active ingredient in Roche’s Avastin. The company also has two additional undisclosed preclinical product candidates.

Source: Epirus Biopharmaceuticals