Sandoz acquires European rights to biosimilar infliximab from Pfizer

Sandoz has agreed a deal with Pfizer to acquire the European rights to its developmental biosimilar version of the drug infliximab.

The firm has purchased rights for the development and commercialisation of PF-06438179, covering the 28 countries of the European Economic Area. The drug is a biosimilar version of an anti-TNF therapy used to treat autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

Under the terms of the deal, Sandoz will take responsibility for completing the drug's clinical study programme, submitting it to the European Medicines Agency for regulatory approval and registering it with the European Commission.

Pfizer has agreed to divest the drug development programme to Sandoz as part of the European regulatory requirements associated with its acquisition of Hospira.

Richard Francis, division head and chief executive officer of Sandoz, said: "We intend to complete the development and registration of PF-06438179 and make it available to patients across Europe as part of our robust portfolio of immunology treatments."

This comes after Sandoz's new biosimilar version of pegfilgrastim was accepted for European regulatory review last week.