WASHINGTON - Pfizer Inc. is all set to kick-off its journey into the world of biosimilars as it gives finishing touches to the launch of a range of insulins in India. The company is counting on a set of value propositions, high quality and competitive pricing to emerge as a "natural leader" in the Indian market.

Growing at over 20% every year, the Indian insulin market is already dominated by Novo Nordisk, which takes a little over half of the $168 million market, followed by Eli Lilly & Co., Sanofi, Biocon Ltd. and Wockhardt Ltd.

In its first wave, Pfizer will roll out the human recombinant insulin and glargine in India and in the next three years, the same products will be taken to other emerging markets. One reason for Pfizer to start its rollout plans with emerging markets, apart from the growth potential, is the fact that the loss of exclusivity of a few insulin products are first in the emerging markets and later in the regulated or developed markets. That apart, there remain uncertainties about the regulatory pathways in markets such as the U.S.

Comprehensive Care As A Tool

"It is not only about diabetes. When you think of people, they also have high cholesterol and similar disease situations and from the Pfizer perspective, we have an entire portfolio, which is a more comprehensive way to treat a disease as opposed to offering a single product or just one therapy. That is going to provide obvious benefits to the patients and have the physicians support," Diem Nguyen, General Manager, Biosimilars, Established Products Business Unit told PharmAsia News along the sidelines of the 2011 BIO International Conference in Washington.

Nguyen acquired expertise in areas like cell biology and worked for consulting firms before joining Pfizer roughly three years ago. She reports to David Simmons, Pfizer's head of Emerging Markets.

As part of its biosimilars program, Nguyen made clear that Pfizer is looking to explore a full range of products that include recombinant proteins as well as monoclonal antibodies.

Partner But Compete Too

Asked if Pfizer's insulin range would not compete against its own partner Biocon's products in the Indian market, Nguyen said the two companies have agreed to be "active competitors" in the complete portfolio. "We bring different value propositions and complementary strengths and we are partners with Biocon so we do not anticipate acting as competitors but from an anti-trust perspective we have a law and if we had not believed that we have complementary strengths, we would not have structured the partnership," Nguyen noted.

In a signal of aggressive launch programs seen as more symbolic of the Established Products Business Unit within Pfizer against its other divisions, the Indian programs are already taking concrete shape less than a year after Pfizer and Biocon agreed to collaborate on insulin products for emerging markets (Also see "With Biocon Deal, Pfizer Expects To Gain First Mover Advantage In Global Biosimilar Insulin Market" - Scrip, 18 October, 2010.).

The senior Pfizer exec said the company has several natural advantages in terms of developing monoclonal antibodies or biosimilars, mostly from the expertise brought in by its merger with Wyeth, which has allowed the company to claim a leadership position in the emerging markets for biologics.

At the other end of the biosimilars spectrum, Pfizer has also eyed complex compounds for diseases like Gaucher's which is seen as a rival to Genzyme's Cerezyme (Also see "Pfizer Thinks Small: Partnership With Protalix On Gaucher Drug Eyes Cheaper Plant-Based Production" - Pink Sheet, 7 December, 2009.).

- Vikas Dandekar (v.dandekar@elsevier.com)

Armed With A Range Of Insulins, Pfizer Is Weeks Away From Its First Biosimilars Rollout In India - BIO 2011 Conference

More from Archive

More from Scrip