Samsung Bioepis races to get biosimilar drugs on the market

Seoul

AS Samsung Bioepis raced to be first to market with a copy of Enbrel, a blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, countdown clocks reminded workers: heading for lunch, meetings or even the washroom: of the days to the first mass production run.

Founded four years ago by South Korea's Samsung Group and with a goal to be first or second to market with more than a dozen so-called biosimilar drugs, Bioepis is fixated on speed.