Company gains biosimilars, one already on the market, and innovative biotech products.
Biopartners Holdings has been purchased in a deal worth $78M by Bioton. “The acquisition of Biopartners is the next step in building a modern company present in all global markets,” states Adam Wilczega, CEO of Bioton. “It provides us with access to innovative products and biosimilars in advanced stages of development, additional biotechnological know-how in product development and registration processing in the EMEA, and subsequent access to the highly profitable European and U.S. markets.”
Biopartners’ main product is Valtropin, reportedly the second biogeneric to be approved in Europe. A biosimilar version of Eli Lilly’s Humatrope, Valtropin is a recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency and Turner Syndrome.
The company’s interferon beta product candidate is a pH neutral formulation of interferon beta for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. It is currently in advanced Phase III trials and is expected to be submitted for market authorization in the first quarter of 2007. Additionally, a Phase I trial is planned for the second half of 2007 to evaluate a formulation of erythropoietin for the treatment of anemia due to renal failure and chemotherapy-induced anaemia. Also, Ravanex is a chemically delivered compound to be used solely in combination with interferon alpha for the treatment of chronic, active hepatitis C.
“Bioton S.A. and Biopartners Holdings AG are complementary companies with excellent synergies in production and marketing, as well as sales and distribution,” remarks Jean-Noël Treilles, CEO of Biopartners. “This acquisition will bring together each company’s unique expertise, enabling expansion and acceleration of product development, reducing a product’s time-to-market.”
