Samsung Bioepis seeks Europe's nod for its Humira drug copy

Seoul

BIOSIMILARS maker Samsung Bioepis, part of South Korea's top family-run conglomerate Samsung Group, said on Monday it is seeking regulatory approval in Europe to sell its copy of AbbVie Inc's rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira.

Samsung Bioepis said that the European Medicines Agency has accepted for review its application to sell its biosimilar of Humira, the world's best-selling drug that generated US$14 billion in sales last year. The company did not say when it submitted the application for its Humira copy. Interest in biosimilars, a cheaper copy of complex biotech drugs, has soared in recent years as copies of some of the world's best-selling prescription medicines have hit the market. Medical officials and insurers in the US and Europe hope biosimilars will significantly reduce healthcare costs.