Beximco Pharmaceuticals Limited, the fast-growing manufacturer of generic pharmaceutical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients, announced the signing of a commercial agreement for distribution of certain products of Mylan in Bangladesh.

Under the terms of the agreement, Beximco Pharma will receive the exclusive rights to launch Mylan’s portfolio of key monoclonal antibodies to treat different types of cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and other medical conditions, a press statement said yesterday.

The first product to be launched in first quarter of 2020 will be Ogivri, a breast cancer drug which is biosimilar to blockbuster drug Herceptin from Roche with global sales in excess of $7 billion in 2018.

Ogivri is approved the US Food and Drug Administration and also has received marketing authorisation from the European Medicines Agency.

Cancer is now one of the leading causes of death in Bangladesh and currently there are more than 50,000 HER2-positive breast cancer patients in the country.

Managing Director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals Nazmul Hassan MP said, “We are incredibly excited to announce this commercial agreement with Mylan, the first of its kind in Bangladesh. With one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of biosimilars approved in more than 80 countries, Mylan is the ideal partner for Beximco Pharma as we enter the key therapeutic areas covered by biosimilar products.”

Commenting on the launch, Rakesh Bamzai, president of India and Emerging Markets, Mylan said, “The growing incidence of breast cancer is a major public health concern among women in developing markets. As a global leader in the development of complex products, including biosimilar medicines, Mylan, through its commercial agreement with Beximco Pharmaceuticals, is pleased to makeTrastuzumab accessible to patients in Bangladesh.”

Beximco Pharma is a leading exporter of pharmaceuticals in Bangladesh. The company currently has a global footprint in more than 50 countries and has been accredited by the leading global regulatory authorities including US FDA, Malta Medicines Authority (EU), TGA (Australia), Health Canada, GCC (Gulf) and TFDA (Taiwan).