, Columnist
Merck, Samsung Accelerate a Biosimilar Price War
The days of high-priced knockoffs of biologic drugs are ending quickly.
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Well, that was a short honeymoon.
Back in November, when Pfizer Inc. launched its biosimilar -- a generic version of a drug made with living cells -- of Johnson & Johnson's blockbuster inflammation drug Remicade, it priced the copy at just a 15 percent discount to the original's list price. That disappointed anyone hoping biosimilars would bring a golden age of cheaper drugs. But it was also relatively friendly, as far as legally risky launches of copycat versions of flagship products go. It left J&J not having to fear losing too much in the way of sales, while giving Pfizer a healthy margin on its own sales.