India’s Cipla outlines big biosimilars plans, new R&D deals

India's Cipla is beefing up its investments in biotech, with plans to invest more in Asia's burgeoning biotech companies while spearheading the development of new biosimilars for cancer and preparing to take the wraps off a new R&D center. Cipla has been quick to grab significant stakes in a variety of biotech companies, including its investment in Stempeutics Research, which is pursuing new stem cell therapies. At its annual meeting, Cipla Chairman Y. K. Hamied bullishly reviewed the...

Cipla targets $19B biosimilar market with string of new deals

India's Cipla is paying $65 million to buy a significant minority stake in two Asian biotech companies with plans to develop a range of discounted biosimilars. And Cipla's chairman says he specifically wants to create follow-on therapies to three of Roche's top biologics--Avastin, Herceptin and Enbrel--that account for $19 billion in annual revenue. "Avastin, Enbrel, Herceptin--these are all being marketed today, but the prices are very high," Cipla Chairman Yusuf Hamied, who built the company...