Intas Pharma to acquire Udenyca business from Coherus BioSciences
Raleigh: Accord BioPharma, Inc., the U.S. specialty division of Intas Pharmaceuticals, Ltd., focused on the development of oncology, immunology and critical care therapies, has announced that Intas Pharmaceuticals has signed an agreement to acquire the UDENYCA (pegfilgrastim-cbqv) business from Coherus BioSciences, Inc.
UDENYCA is a pegfilgrastim biosimilar to Neulasta and is typically administered the day after chemotherapy to decrease the incidence of infection as caused by febrile neutropenia. During the 2023 fiscal year, sales of UDENYCA totaled $127.1 million. "When final, the acquisition will expand Accord BioPharma's product portfolio and is expected to position the company for accelerated growth in the biosimilar industry," the release stated.
UDENYCA is a pegfilgrastim biosimilar approved in the United States currently available in three administration options — prefilled syringe (PFS), autoinjector (AI) and on-body injector (OBI) — providing patients and healthcare providers with choice, control and convenience. Since its launch in 2019, over 300,000 patients have been treated with UDENYCA.
"By adding UDENYCA to our growing portfolio of biosimilars, we will strengthen our business footprint in the U.S." said Chrys Kokino, U.S. President of Accord. "With an expanding presence in the market, we can fuel the internal innovation and external expansion needed to deliver more accessible treatment options to patients."
"In considering our strategic pathways to achieve future growth, acquiring the UDENYCA business in the U.S. is appealing for two reasons: the product's impressive sales and uptake, and its range of administration options that give patients an opportunity to align their needs with a treatment plan," said Binish Chudgar, Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Intas Pharmaceuticals. "Having an on-body injector within our portfolio will allow us to provide immune supportive care to patients in a variety of settings, including at home, a benefit to patients who live far away from their care center."
The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.
UDENYCA is a leukocyte growth factor indicated to:
- Decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia.
- Increase survival in patients acutely exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation (Hematopoietic Subsyndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome).
UDENYCA is not indicated for the mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
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