Where to buy Research Biosimilars?
It’s not always easy to find research biosimilars available on Google as searches tend to include the information on the drug together with latest research and treatments. ichorbio has therefore created this complete guide of all current research biosimilars on the market, together with price comparisons for all the major manufacturers.
What is a biosimilar?
A biosimilar is a biologic medical product highly similar to another already approved biological medicine. Within the European Union, biosimilars are approved according to the same standards of pharmaceutical quality, safety and efficacy that apply to all biological medicines.
What is a research biosimilar?
A research biosimilar is therefore a biosimilar that is only for use in laboratories and is explicitly not for human use. They are sometimes termed as being “research grade” biosimilars, or biosimilars for research use. Research biosimilars are used by laboratories in academia, biotech and pharmaceutical firms to investigate new drugs to see how they compare to ones currently on the market.
Where to buy biosimilars for research use?
It can be quite tricky to find companies that supply research grade biosimilars – biosimilars for research use only as Google often pulls up the original therapeutic drug.
We at ichorbio therefore thought it would be helpful to present all of the manufacturers of current biosimilars on the market that are for research use.
Which companies manufacture research biosimilars?
As of 2021, the following companies manufacture research grade biosimilars (in alphabetical order):
Biovision is a manufacturer based in San Diego, USA
Creative Biolabs is headquartered in New York, USA
ichorbio is based in Oxford, United Kingdom
Invivogen is located in Toulouse, France
R&D Systems is based in Oxford, United Kingdom
Selleck Chemicals is based in Shanghai, China
Please see below for a pricing guide for the most common biosimilars for research use. This page was last updated on 22nd April 2021. We have tried to add as many suppliers, research biosimilars and prices as possible – but if you spot any missing please contact us at [email protected].
Where to buy Atezolizumab for research use
Atezolizumab, sold under the brand name Tecentriq, is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody of IgG1 isotype against the protein programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). Tecentriq is manufactured by Genentech, Inc., A Member of the Roche Group. Atezolizumab blocks the binding of PD-L1 with both PD-1 and B7.1, but not the interaction of PD-L2 with PD-1. By blocking PD-1 activity Atezolizumab enhances T-cell activity against tumor cells
Atezolizumab is the first PD-L1 inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Atezolizumab is a monoclonal antibody medication that can be as a monotherapy to treat urothelial carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and melanoma.
It may also be used in combination with bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin for NSCLC, paclitaxel protein-bound for TNBC, carboplatin and etoposide for SCLC, bevacizumab for HCC, and cobimetinib and vemurafenib for melanoma.
Below is a list of the main manufacturers of research grade atezolizumab, together with the sizes they have available on their website and a comparison of their prices.
Where to buy Avelumab for research use
Avelumab is an intravenously (i.v.) administered fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with its receptors PD-1 and B7.1 on T cells and antigen-presenting cells. Avelumab thereby inhibits immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and reduces tumor growth.
It is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC) and locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC), but many other studies of avelumab as monotherapy and in combination therapies are underway.
Although many mAbs designed to interfere with the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway are approved, avelumab is unique in that it can mediate antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by retaining a native Fc-region.
Below is a list of the main manufacturers of research grade avelumab, together with the sizes they have available on their website and a comparison of their prices.
Where to buy Ipilimumab for research use
Ipilimumab is a human monoclonal antibody directed against CTLA-4 (anti-CTLA-4 Ab), a receptor expressed on antigen-stimulated T-cells that suppresses the immune response after T-cell/antigen interaction.
By blocking CTLA-4, ipilimumab restores T-cell activation and proliferation, and potentiates the anti-tumor T-cell response. It has been approved in 2011 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of advanced (metastatic or unresectable) melanoma while multiple studies have evaluated the efficacy of ipilimumab in other solid tumors such as prostate cancer, small-cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer and bladder cancer.
Below is a list of the main manufacturers of research grade ipilimumab, together with the sizes they have available on their website and a comparison of their prices.
Where to buy Nivolumab for research use
Nivolumab is a fully human IgG4 antibody which specifically binds to PD-1 and releases the immune system brakes applied through PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. It is therefore known as a checkpoint inhibitor. PD-1 is principally believed to act on the effector phases of T cells in the TME on chronic antigen exposure and thus antibodies blocking PD-1 are thought to deliver quick and specific antitumor responses with fewer side-effects.
- Unresectable or metastatic melanoma
- Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- Advanced renal cell cancer
- Classical Hodgkins lymphoma (cHL)
- Recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN)
- Locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma
- Metastatic small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
- Adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient solid tumors or colorectal cancer
- Hepatocellular cancer (HCC)
- Unresectable advanced, recurrent or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)
- Advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, and gastroesophageal junction cancer, and esophageal adenocarcinoma
Below is a list of the main manufacturers of research grade nivolumab, together with the sizes they have available on their website and a comparison of their prices.
Where to buy Pembrolizumab for research use
Pembrolizumab, sold under the brand name Keytruda, is a humanised monoclonal antibody directed against the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) that has been approved for Melanoma, Non-small cell lung cancer (mono & combination therapy), Urothelial carcinoma, Classical Hodgkin lymphoma, Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (mono and combination therapy) and advanced renal cell carcinoma.
By blocking the interaction between PD-1 and programmed cell death ligand 1/2 (PD-L1/2), pembrolizumab enhances T-cell lymphocyte activity with consequent stimulation of immune-mediated antitumour activity.
Pembrolizumab is an IgG4 isotype antibody.
Below is a list of the main manufacturers of research grade pembrolizumab, together with the sizes they have available on their website and a comparison of their prices.
Where to buy Rituximab for research use
Rituximab, sold under the brand name Rituxan is a medication used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and types of cancer. Rituximab was approved in 1997.
Indications include Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, Granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis and Rheumatoid arthritis.
Rituximab is a chimeric murine / human monoclonal antibody against the protein CD20, a B-cell specific surface antigen. When it binds to CD20 it triggers cell death.
Below is a list of the main manufacturers of research grade rituximab, together with the sizes they have available on their website and a comparison of their prices.
Where to buy Trastuzumab for research use
Trastuzumab (Herceptin®) is a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the erythroblastic leukaemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (ErbB2), also known as the human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 (HER‐2). Although this transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase plays an important role in the normal growth and development of various cell types, its overexpression in 20 to 25% of human breast cancers is associated with aggressive growth and poor prognosis.
Trastuzumab became the first clinically used mAb against HER‐2. The drug blocks HER‐2 signalling by multiple mechanisms, including disruption of normal ErbB signal transduction via physically disabling HER‐2 molecules to form dimers with each other or further members of the HER/ErbB family.
Below is a list of the main manufacturers of research grade trastuzumab, together with the sizes they have available on their website and a comparison of their prices.