Epirus, Polpharma Collaborate

 EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. and Polpharma Group have announced the signing of a multi-product, multi-region profit-sharing collaboration for select EPIRUS biosimilars, including BOW015 (infliximab, reference biologic Remicade®), BOW050 (adalimumab, reference biologic Humira®) and BOW070 (tocilizumab, reference biologic Actemra®), representing $6 billion in innovator sales in the specified territoriesi. Polpharma Group is a leading generics company based in Poland with annual sales of approximately $1 billion and a strong commercial infrastructure, including a salesforce of over 1,700 employees globally.  

With EPIRUS leading the global product development and clinical programs, both parties will jointly fund clinical development and collaborate on regulatory filings in the specified territories. EPIRUS will also be responsible for process development, scale-up and manufacturing, with Polpharma Group overseeing commercialization across the territories. Clinical development costs and eventual operating profit will be split 51 percent Polpharma Group and 49 percent EPIRUS. Polpharma Group will contribute approximately $30 million towards clinical development costs, as well as cover product launch costs across all three programs. 

"This profit-sharing collaboration with Polpharma Group enables us to better direct our business and retain future value," said Amit Munshi, president and chief executive officer, EPIRUS Biopharmaceuticals. "We have an aggressive plan to bring our products to markets globally and to build a pure-play, sustainable and profitable biosimilar business. To achieve this goal, we need an equally aggressive partner with aligned objectives. Polpharma Group is rooted in over 80 years of experience in highly competitive global markets with complex generics. They have already made a substantial commitment to the biosimilar space with a vision to expand."

EPIRUS retains the commercial rights to Switzerland and Norway along with select EU countries including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden, allowing the Company to build its direct commercial footprint. EPIRUS also retains rights to North America and other global markets not addressed in this agreement. A joint management board will oversee the collaboration.

"Partnering with EPIRUS allows us to combine their technical expertise with our commercial strength," said Jerzy Starak, chairman of the supervisory board, Polpharma Group. "We are pleased to join the experience of both teams and the potential of these markets to provide patients with more affordable access to modern treatment."