another reason for onc/oncy to be snapped up:
AbbVie Inc.’s arthritis therapy Humira is set to face its first competition in the U.S. from a near-identical copycat, the end of the exclusive run of what was for years the country’s biggest-selling drug.
After two decades of patent protection and more than $135 billion in U.S. sales, Humira will contend with the near-identical version from Amgen Inc. Other Humira copycats are due to become available later this year.
AbbVie had fought for years to protect Humira and its sales from copycats. Under settlements with the various competitors, AbbVie can’t hold off near-identical rivals any longer. Its aggressive defense should help it hold on to most sales for several months, but Humira’s dominance is expected to start cracking by later this year when other copycats go on sale.