On 10 March 2025, Coherus BioSciences reported its fourth quarter and full year financial results for 2024, and announced that it will transfer approximately 50 employees to Intas Pharmaceuticals’ specialty unit, Accord BioPharma. The move will reduce Coherus’ workforce by around 30%, leaving it with approximately 155 employees.
The divestiture follows Coherus’ December 2024 agreement with Accord’s parent company, Intas Pharmaceuticals, for the sale of its pegfilgrastim (Udenyca®), biosimilar to Amgen’s Neulasta®, under which Coherus received USD$483.4 million upfront, with up to USD$75 million in potential milestone payments based on net sales performance. With the Udenyca® divesture, Coherus has now fully transition away from biosimilars, refocusing on its immune-oncology pipeline.
The addition of Udenyca® to Accord’s portfolio follows a number of important milestones achieved by the company for its biosimilar pipeline in recent months. In February 2025, Intas and Bio-Thera reached an exclusive commercialisation and licence agreement for golimumab (BAT2506), biosimilar to J&J’s Simponi® and Simponi Aria®, under which Accord will be responsible for commercialising the product in the US and Bio-Thera will retain responsibility for development, manufacturing and supply.
In December 2024, the European Commission granted marketing authorisation for Accord Healthcare’s Imuldosa®, biosimilar ustekinumab, for a range of immune medicated inflammatory diseases. Imuldosa® was developed jointly by Dong-A Socio Holdings and Meiji Seika Pharma. In July 2021, Dong-A ST signed a global out-licensing agreement with Intas Pharmaceuticals. Imuldosa® will be launched in multiple regions, through Intas and its subsidiaries, including Accord Biopharma in the United States and Accord Healthcare in Europe, the UK, and Canada.