Last week, Bio-Thera Solutions and Hikma Pharmaceuticals announced they have entered into an exclusive commercialization and license agreement to commercialize the proposed ustekinumab biosimilar product, BAT2206. According to the press release, Bio-Thera will “maintain responsibility for development, manufacturing, and supply of BAT2206 [and] Hikma will have exclusive rights to commercialize the product in the US.” The agreement also provides that “Hikma with a first-right-to-negotiate to add Europe (excluding CIS countries). Bio-Thera is eligible for an upfront payment of $20 million as well as further development and commercial milestones of up to $130 million.”

BAT2206 will be developed as a monoclonal antibody proposed biosimilar for Jansen’s Stelara® product, which is indicated for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adults, the treatment of patients 6 years or older with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (Ps) who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy, the treatment of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease (CD) in adults, and the treatment of moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults.