Upcoming biosimilar contract

Does anyone know who the client company and product name for the new immunology/rheum/gi contract?

 

Merck. Part of their deal with Samsung. J&J is suing to keep it off the market.
Do some homework

 

Thanks for your reply. I was able to identify that it was Merk through some internet research. I will look into the lawsuit.

 

J&J reaction has been on industry publications. Standard reaction from brand company with biologic losing its patent.

 

I have not been able to find any recent publications. Please share links if you can. I know the biosimilar was approved in April but maybe the lawsuit has ended if they are recruiting this late in the game? I know interviews are going on this week and next week with offers going out by July 21st. Start date is in August. Do you know the company culture?

 

Ok, I just found this article....

http://www.fiercepharma.com/legal/j-j-fires-off-legal-salvo-to-block-samsung-s-remicade-biosim-launch

 

Interviewed for this contract yesterday. Final interview in a couple of weeks. Anyone else have thoughts on the position? Yay or nay?

 

This seems weird. Article I read said there is A6 month waiting period for biosimilar to enter market. That would mean late fall if J&J can't stop it. Weird?

 

What is weird? I'm the poster of the quote you replied to. Field deployment is set to be 9/11/17.

 

Good luck with that. You won't get hired anyway. Besides J&J has been in this market forever and are dug in. Merck will likely get slaughtered

 

Maybe if not likely. Based on articles and J&J comments the first biosim for this product is doing poorly

 

Why would you say that I won't get hired anyway? Your commentary is very confusing and unproductive. If you have nothing to add to the thread in the form of information please do not reply and clutter up the thread, thank you.

 

You don't have to be first or biggest. 10% of 7B with a small contact sales force isn't a bad move for merck. The contact isn't bad. Don't think they will find people with the experience they want(buy and bill/infusion) willing to be on contract and get paid what they are paying, but maybe a few looking to get that experience and it could be a win win. Those people will bolt after getting that on their resume though unless either rolled over or they step up

 

Good post. You seem knowledgeable about the market. Why in your opinion is the first biosimilar not getting any uptake.

 

i have experience launching a biosim in another disease state that went horribly because the company had to high expectations going against a market leader and sole manufacturer in the disease state for 10 years. The brand loyalty was not anticipated. It's a slow moving ship. These companies think a price decrease is going to make such a huge difference. It doesn't. Pharma sales 101. Cost is a smoke screen. Does cost factor in? Absolutely. But not enough to impact a history of successfully treated pts for 10 years. It takes time and that has been shown with the Pfizer biosim launch.

 

Appreciate the overview. What does a biosimilar offer besides cost if the brand company already has all the standard stuff? I generally agree on your cost thoughts but these are essentially generics

 

I wouldn't equate it to a generic per se but more so to a new drug in the same class. So, like there are competing SSRI's for depression, proton pump inhibitors for gerd etc...I don't know what the differentiators are for this biosim vs J&J's biological or Pfizer's biosim. Maybe someone else can chime in with that info....

It seems the territories will be huge. Not sure how that will work.....

 

Good preliminary info. The key question is what approval pathway did the biosim company take? 351(k)? 505(b). The former is a more generic approach the latter is developing a biosim as a new product ( as what was done with the first biosim to Amgen's neupogen). Again do some Homework. 351 approved products can play the conventional "value added"/"surround sound" crap all they want. It won't work. The market is expecting biosim entry to create price competition and until the biosim companies get to the price point the reference product will hold share. Cost pressure in hospital and infusion center pharmacies are just too high. They'll take the lower price if it's worth while. Find the price point!!! Imho

 

Great info. Thank you. Looks to have been approved through the 351 (k) pathway....so what does that mean for a sales force long term?

 

IMHO ( in my humble opinion) it means that this is a different scenario than the classic "pharma101". 351k ( assuming "interchangeablilty"; look that up as well) puts biosims in more of a conventional generic market paradigm. The implication would be more price point sensitivity than a classic value added approach/"surround sound" marketing approach. Customers may want better prices AND the support services. Who knows. The biosim market is just getting underway. Lots of reference drugs going off patent lots of companies developing biosims. It's a whole new normal. I do think however that pricing will be a key strategic consideration. But what do I know. I'm the same gal who thought Trump had zero chance of getting elected.