RESEARCH - Teva begins testing copycat version of Rituxan (rituximab)

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The Wall Street Journal

MAY 25, 2010, 12:10 P.M. ET

Teva Begins Testing Copycat Version Of Biogen, Roche's Rituxan

NEW YORK (Dow )--Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. (TEVA,

TEVA.TV) has begun testing of a copycat version of cancer and

rheumatoid arthritis drug Rituxan, sold by Biogen Idec Inc (BIIB) and

Roche Holding AG (RHHBY, ROG.VX).

The drug may take years to reach the market, something that isn't

assured, but it will be aiming for a large market. Rituxan, which had

2009 global sales of $5.7 billion, is significant to the businesses of

both Biogen and Roche, which are working on second-generation versions

of the drug.

Rituxan is approved to treat non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic

lymphocytic leukemia and rheumatoid arthritis. According to a U.S.

government website, the Israeli Teva has launched a clinical trial of

the drug, called TL011, in severe, active rheumatoid arthritis that

will be complete in mid-2011.

The recent health-care overhaul opened a regulatory pathway for

biosimilars--the closest thing possible to a genetic version of

complex biotech drugs--and unlike traditional generics the approval of

many of the drugs is expected to require clinical testing. The market

could be large, and Teva projected earlier this year that about $53

billion in branded biologic sales will be exposed to biosimilar

competition by 2015 through patent expirations alone.

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Read the full article here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100525-709912.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

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