IMS Company Profiles - Report Buyer

IMS COM PANY PRO FILES NOVARTIS
EVENT SUMMARY
Heavy investment in
vaccines
Biosimilars: a good
opportunity for Novartis
Source: IMS Com pa nies
Novartis plans to invest up to $2bn over the next five years in an effort
to turn its vaccines business into one of the world’s top three operators.
It wants to become a global leader in meningitis vaccines and one of the
top two manufacturers of flu and travelers’ vaccines by 2012. The Chiron
purchase has positioned it among the top five global vaccine makers with
special expertise in the growing area of flu vaccines. Novartis believes
the vaccine industry will grow 20% annually over the next 5 years.
Analysts forecast strong growth for the vaccines business. In 2009-10,
Novartis should launch two new meningitis vaccines (Menveo and
MenB), which could be potential blockbusters.
The growth hormone Omnitrope (somatropin) received EU and US
approvals in 2006 and was the first biosimilar to reach the market,
opening the door to other biosimilar products. Sandoz is prepared to
exploit this market; it has a number of other biosimilars in development
and is studying new opportunities in the field. In 2007, it received
European approval for an EPO biosimilar, Binocrit (epoetin alfa), which
has since been launched in a number of markets. In 2009, its biosimilar
branded interferon beta-1b (Extavia) was launched on its first markets in
Europe; a US submission is planned for 2009. February 2009 also saw
EU approval for a biosimilar version of filgrastim, Zarzio/Filgrastim Hexal.
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