Glenmark Pharmaceuticals said it has launched a biosimilar of Adalimumab, a drug for Plaque Psoriasis and Rheumatoid Arthritis from Cadila Healthcare Ltd..
“The launch of ADALY marks the launch of Glenmark’s first biosimilar in Dermatology,” the company said.
The drug has been licensed from Cadila.
“ADALY will be available to patients in India at a fraction of the global cost,” it added.
A biosimilar (also known as follow-on biologic or subsequent entry biologic) is a biologic medical product which is almost an identical copy of an original product that is manufactured by a different company.
The anti-inflammatory biosimilar will be marketed by Glenmark under the brand name ADALY.
“Developed by the researchers at the Zydus Research Centre, the biosimilar of Adalimumab was first launched by Zydus in 2014 and is manufactured at Zydus Biologics, the dedicated facility for product development and manufacturing of biologics and monoclonal antibodies.
ADALY is a TNF inhibiting, anti-inflammatory biologic that binds to tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha) and reduces inflammatory response.
Recently, Glenmark introduced Aprezo (Apremilast) for psoriasis.
“Biologics are gaining importance in managing various diseases and Glenmark has a strong focus on developing its own novel biologics. The launch of ADALY is a step towards building a presence in this area,” it said.
“Being leaders in the dermatology segment in India, ADALY is an important launch. The launch of this biosimilar will significantly enhance our presence in this segment,” said Sujesh Vasudevan, President – India Formulations, Middle East and Africa at Glenmark.
“We are encouraged by the recent launch of Apremilast for psoriasis in India and the launch of ADALY reaffirms our commitment towards meeting unmet needs of patients and providing the latest treatment options,” he added.
