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Xbrane Drops Keytruda Rival As It Pares Down Pipeline And Personnel

Swedish Biosimilars Developer Discloses ‘Unfortunately Necessary Measures’ To Cut Costs

 
• By Dave Wallace

Swedish biosimilars developer Xbrane Biopharma has revealed that it is dropping development of its planned Xtrudane pembrolizumab biosimilar to Keytruda, as part of a move towards a more “focused development portfolio.” At the same time, the firm has announced job cuts as part of a new cost-savings scheme designed to help the firm “achieve a positive cash flow as soon as possible.”

Coin Stacks, Wooden Blocks, 2025 target
Xbrane is aiming to achieve positive cash flow by Q1 2025 • Source: Shutterstock

Sweden’s Xbrane Biopharma has revealed that it is to cease development of a Keytruda (pembrolizumab) biosimilar as it looks to break even by early 2025. At the same time, the firm has announced plans to cut 40 staff as part of a cost-savings scheme aimed at saving the company around SEK50m ($5m) annually.

Xbrane had revealed at the end of 2021 that it had initiated development for a pair of new biosimilar candidates, referencing Keytruda

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