It is the company’s first biosimilar product to be approved and launched in the UK and is available in strengths of 100mg and 400mg single use vials
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, a multinational pharmaceutical Indian company, has launched a new cancer medication, Versavo in the UK.
A biosimilar product of Genentech’s Avastin, Versavo is intended for the treatment of several types of cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer, advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, recurrent glioblastoma, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, advanced cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and metastatic breast cancer.
This monoclonal antibody product joins Dr. Reddy’s biosimilars portfolio, which includes six commercial products available in India and distributed in over 25 countries worldwide.
Originally introduced in India in 2019, Versavo has since expanded its presence to markets such as Thailand, Ukraine, Nepal, and Jamaica under the same brand name. Notably, in Colombia, it was launched under the brand name Persivia. The company was granted a marketing license by the UK government in November 2023.
Dr. Jayanth Sridhar, the Global Head of Biologics at Dr. Reddy’s, highlighted the introduction of Versavo in a highly regulated market demonstrated their “capability for global clinical development of high-quality biosimilar products.”
“This launch reinforces our commitment to bring more biosimilar and other critical biological products to meet the unmet needs of patients, and strengthens our focus on oncology,” he said.
On Dr. Reddy’s ongoing efforts in advancing its oncology and auto-immune disease pipeline, Sridhar said: “We have several products in the pipeline in oncology and auto-immune diseases in various stages of development for global launches across regulated as well as emerging markets.”
In July 2023, another biosimilar application for rituximab was accepted for review by the USFDA, EMA and MHRA.
How Versavo works
Versavo is a bevacizumab biosimilar, the first antiangiogenic therapy proven to slow progression of metastatic cancer. It is a humanized recombinant antibody that targets human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), leading to deterred angiogenesis and tumor growth.
It is available in strengths of 100mg and 400mg single use vials.
