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Jun 30, 2011
Armed With A Range Of Insulins, Pfizer Is Weeks Away From Its First Biosimilars Rollout In India - BIO 2011 Conference
WASHINGTON - Pfizer Inc. is all set to kick-off its journey into the world of biosimilars
as it gives finishing touches to the launch of a range of insulins in India. The company is
counting on a set of value propositions, high quality and competitive pricing to emerge
as a "natural leader" in the Indian market.
Growing at over 20% every year, the Indian insulin market is already dominated
by Novo Nordisk, which takes a little over half of the $168 million market, followed
by Eli Lilly & Co., Sanofi, Biocon Ltd. and Wockhardt Ltd.
In its first wave, Pfizer will roll out the human recombinant insulin and glargine in India
and in the next three years, the same products will be taken to other emerging markets.
One reason for Pfizer to start its rollout plans with emerging markets, apart from the
growth potential, is the fact that the loss of exclusivity of a few insulin products are first
in the emerging markets and later in the regulated or developed markets. That apart,
there remain uncertainties about the regulatory pathways in markets such as the U.S.
Comprehensive Care As A Tool
"It is not only about diabetes. When you think of people, they also have high cholesterol
and similar disease situations and from the Pfizer perspective, we have an entire
portfolio, which is a more comprehensive way to treat a disease as opposed to offering a
single product or just one therapy. That is going to provide obvious benefits to the
patients and have the physicians support," Diem Nguyen, General Manager, Biosimilars,
Established Products Business Unit told PharmAsia News along the sidelines of the
2011 BIO International Conference in Washington.
Nguyen acquired expertise in areas like cell biology and worked for consulting firms
before joining Pfizer roughly three years ago. She reports to David Simmons, Pfizer's
head of Emerging Markets.
As part of its biosimilars program, Nguyen made clear that Pfizer is looking to explore a
full range of products that include recombinant proteins as well as monoclonal
antibodies.
Partner But Compete Too
Asked if Pfizer's insulin range would not compete against its own partner Biocon's
products in the Indian market, Nguyen said the two companies have agreed to be
"active competitors" in the complete portfolio. "We bring different value propositions and
complementary strengths and we are partners with Biocon so we do not anticipate
acting as competitors but from an anti-trust perspective we have a law and if we had not
believed that we have complementary strengths, we would not have structured the
partnership," Nguyen noted.
In a signal of aggressive launch programs seen as more symbolic of the Established
Products Business Unit within Pfizer against its other divisions, the Indian programs are
already taking concrete shape less than a year after Pfizer and Biocon agreed to
collaborate on insulin products for emerging markets (`With Biocon Deal, Pfizer Expects
To Gain First Mover Advantage In Global Biosimilar Insulin Market,' Oct. 18, 2010).
The senior Pfizer exec said the company has several natural advantages in terms of
developing monoclonal antibodies or biosimilars, mostly from the expertise brought in by
its merger with Wyeth, which has allowed the company to claim a leadership position in
the emerging markets for biologics.
At the other end of the biosimilars spectrum, Pfizer has also eyed complex compounds
for diseases like Gaucher's which is seen as a rival to Genzyme's Cerezyme (`Pfizer
Thinks Small: Partnership With Protalix On Gaucher Drug Eyes Cheaper Plant-Based
Production,' PharmAsia News, Dec. 7, 2009).
- Vikas Dandekar ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
