Merck & Co. Inc. has signed Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd. as its partner to develop multiple biosimilar candidates in a deal announced Feb. 20. Whether the announcement reinforces Merck’s commitment to the space or signals the company’s desire to reduce investment in the field by handing off development to a third party is uncertain, but certainly the deal represents a change in strategy from how Merck entered the biosimilar race in 2008.
Merck declined to provide more insight on its biosimilar initiative, but said the deal with Samsung Bioepsis is just one piece of a broader strategy. “We do have some internal biosimilar candidates we are developing on our own,” a spokesperson said