There will be no surprise Humira biosimilars

The drug industry’s most lucrative single product will stay that way until 2023.

AbbVie settled a lawsuit that will extend Humira’s exclusivity for another four years, signing a deal with German drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim that will keep a biosimilar off the market. It’s not a surprising development, but it came as a disappointment to advocates who have accused AbbVie of gaming the patent system to prolong Humira’s commercial lifespan.

It also sets a firm deadline for AbbVie, which gets nearly half of its revenue from Humira. The company has been building a back-up plan in fits and starts, with some successes in auto-immune disease and more than a few disappointments in oncology.

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