Samba biosimba: Brazil to make local Enbrel
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Brazil's biggest local companies, Ache, Uniao Quimica, Hypermarcas and EMS, under the name Bionovis, and two state owned labs, Fiocruz and Vital Brasil, are getting together to produce what authorities laud as the first ever 100% Brazilian biologic, a biosimilar of Pfizer/Amgen's Enbrel (etanercept). Similar announcements could follow as the government tries to cut costs by buying locally produced versions of expensive imported biologics, says Benny Spiewak from the law firm ZCBS Advogados.