Hospira Acquires Rights To Biogeneric Version Of Filgrastim

Hospira has announced the acquisition of worldwide rights to a biogeneric version of filgrastim and an affiliated European manufacturing facility from PLIVA Hrvatska. Filgrastim is a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) used to treat neutropenia.

Hospira will have full global rights to the biogeneric filgrastim that had previously been part of a strategic collaboration between Hospira and PLIVA/Barr.

As per the agreement, Hospira has also acquired process development capabilities and a manufacturing plant in Croatia. The site has capacity sufficient to meet Hospira’s worldwide filgrastim and pegfilgrastim requirements, along with expansion possibility for additional biogenerics manufacturing.

Reportedly, Hospira’s pegfilgrastim would be a biogeneric version of Amgen’s Neulasta, a second-generation G-CSF. Hospira intends to launch its biogeneric pegfilgrastim in Europe, Asia and the US prior to the expiry of patents relating to Neulasta, and is conducting the requisite clinical work to support these regulatory submissions. It also intends to register the Croatian plant and an existing Hospira facility in Australia as global sites of manufacture for pegfilgrastim.

Ron Squarer, senior vice president of global marketing and corporate development for Hospira, said: “With this agreement, Hospira expands its reach to new markets for filgrastim, and its global manufacturing capacity for pegfilgrastim. Hospira is already well-positioned in the biogenerics marketplace, given our internal capabilities, our strategic collaborations and our commercialization experience in Europe. The additional vertical integration this deal brings, as well as the access to broader markets for our products, further demonstrates Hospira’s robust commitment to the biogenerics space.”