Pfizer to stop manufacturing biosimilars in China

Pfizer will stop producing biosimilar products in China and sell its facility to WuXi Biologics Inc., a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), Reuters reports.

“The site was planned to manufacture three biosimilars for the China market,” the drugmaker told the news outlet. “Pfizer commercially and technically evaluated other products for the site, but none reached the level of activity for the scale of the site.”

Neither Pfizer nor WuXi disclosed the deal value, or the products to be made after the agreement finalizes, which is expected in the first half of this year.

WuXi said the deal would allow it to address rising manufacturing demand for drug substances and drug products. The facilities are equipped with bioreactors and capable of filing vials and syringes, the Chinese firm mentioned in a statement on the WeChat app.

WuXi also makes vaccine substances for the Covid-19 shot developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford to supply Brazil.