Biocon & Pfizer End Biosimilar Partnership

Biocon and Pfizer have ended their biosimilar insulin alliance. All rights licensed to Pfizer will now be transferred back to Biocon.

India’s biotech Biocon and US-based pharmaceutical giant Pfizer have ended their collaboration to commercialize Biocon’s biosimilar insulin and insulin analog products.

The companies cite as their reason the “individual priorities for their respective biosimilars businesses,” which means they feel it “is in their best interest to move forward independently.” Whether this relates to conflict of interest or divergent interests isn’t stated.

Pfizer and Biocon signed their global insulin biosimilars agreement back in October 2010 with $200 million up front. The deal covered Biocon’s biosimilar versions of insulin and insulin analog products, recombinant human insulin, glargine, aspart, and lispro. The terms granted Pfizer exclusive rights to c