Biocon Seeks Partner to Sell Rival Drug to J&J’s Stelara

Biocon Ltd., India’s largest publicly traded biotechnology company, is in talks with U.S. drugmakers to co-develop and sell a psoriasis treatment that may rival Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara.

Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, 60, is seeking a partner to help with expertise and funding for the tests needed for approval in the U.S., she said in an interview. Biocon plans to file for permission in the year ending March to sell in the North American nation, and aims to start marketing Alzumab in that country two to three years later, she said.