Accord Healthcare Launches Zercepac®▼ (trastuzumab) biosimilar in the UK

Accord's first mAb and fourth biosimilar, joins the company's established portfolio of over 30 oncology treatments across Europe

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HARROW, England, Sept. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Accord Healthcare (Accord) today announced the launch of Zercepac® (trastuzumab) as a biosimilar of the reference product Herceptin®, in the UK, following approval by the European Commission in July 2020. Zercepac®, the first monoclonal antibody (mAb), and fourth biosimilar, launched by Accord in Europe, represents another great milestone in Accord's growing oncology portfolio which now provides access to over 30 high-quality, cost-effective oncology treatments to patients across Europe.

Zercepac is indicated for the treatment of certain patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer, HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and previously untreated HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer and will be available in a 150mg single-dose vial.

Cancer is a leading cause of death in the UK[i] and whilst medical advances have meant that patients are able to live longer fuller lives, the cost of cancer care across Europe has doubled over the last 25 years from approximately €52 billion to around €103 billion[ii], placing a huge burden on healthcare providers and limiting access to treatment. Biosimilars, like Zercepac, play an important role in the oncology treatment paradigm, allowing more patients access to these critical medicines.

Anup Sidhu, Speciality Brands Director, Accord said, "We are proud to launch Zercepac in the UK and offer healthcare professionals an additional option of this vital oncology medicine. This is the launch of our first monoclonal antibody, reinforcing our commitment to ensuring improved patient access whilst also helping to alleviate some of the pressures on overstretched health systems."   

The European Commission approval of Zercepac, was based on a series of robust studies including comparative quality studies, preclinical and clinical studies. The results confirmed the products biosimilarity, demonstrating comparable efficacy and safety to the reference product, Herceptin®.

Notes to Editor

Zercepac has been developed and manufactured by Shanghai Henlius Biotech and will be marketed by Accord. 

About Accord Healthcare

Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Accord Healthcare Europe is one of the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in Europe. Accord has one of the largest market footprints of any European generic and biosimilars companies selling generic medicines in over 80 countries around the world.

This global footprint enables us to deliver vital, affordable medicines to national health systems supporting healthcare professionals to transform patient lives worldwide.

The approach of Accord is agile and inventive, always seeking to improve products and patients' access to them. Accord are driven to think differently and deliver more for the benefit of patients worldwide.

[i] Macmillan Cancer Support, 2019 https://www.macmillan.org.uk/_images/cancer-statistics-factsheet_tcm9-260514.pdf Last Accessed: September 2020

[ii] Hofmarcher T, et al (2020) Eur J Cancer 129, 41– 49. https://www.ejcancer.com/article/S0959-8049(20)30026-5/fulltext Last Accessed: September 2020