Mylan launches world's first trastuzumab biosimilar

MUMBAI and PITTSBURGH — Mylan on Monday announced that its subsidiary, Mylan Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, has launched the world's first trastuzumab biosimilar in India. The product — which will be marketed by Mylan as Hertraz — is used for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Hertraz is a biosimilar to Roche's Herceptin and is available in two strengths:  440mg and 150mg.

   

"Mylan is excited to offer Hertraz to the thousands of women in India suffering from metastatic breast cancer who are in need of a high quality, more affordable treatment option," Mylan CEO Heather Bresch, said. "The launch of Hertraz not only represents a significant milestone in our biosimilars development program with Biocon, but, more importantly, supports our mission to expand access to high quality medicine around the world and demonstrates our progress against one of Mylan's key future growth drivers.”



According to IPSOS, trastuzumab had sales in India of approximately $21 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2012.