In the wake of parent company Samsung Biologics completing its full acquisition of Samsung Bioepis, the Korea-based biosimilars player has told Generics Bulletin that it will be a “more robust company,” as it applies more rigorous standards to replenishing its pipeline of biosimilar candidates.

Roche upended expectations for biosimilar Lucentis (ranibizumab) in the US, with a recent licensing deal signed with biosimilar sponsor Samsung Bioepis keeping the first proposed rival from the market until June 2022. The originator is also confident its pipeline assets will stem competition.

As Boehringer Ingelheim’s Cyltezo has become the second-ever interchangeable biosimilar approved by the US FDA – as well as the first monoclonal antibody to garner the designation and offering the first published data from a switching trial to support interchangeability – the debate around the potential impact for interchangeable products in the keenly-watched adalimumab space and beyond continues to grow.