---
title: "India's Cipla, China's Qilu partner for US launch of Merck's Keytruda biosimilar"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/297935089.md"
datetime: "2026-09-03T15:22:56.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/297935089.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297935089.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/297935089.md)
generator: "portal-rs"
---

# India's Cipla, China's Qilu partner for US launch of Merck's Keytruda biosimilar

Sept 3 (Reuters) - India’s Cipla (CIPL.NS) said on Thursday its U.S. unit entered an exclusive partnership with China’s Qilu Pharmaceutical to license a biosimilar version of Merck’s (MRK.N) cancer drug Keytruda for the U.S. market.

Here are more details:

-   Under the agreement, Qilu will handle development, regulatory approvals, manufacturing and supply of QL2107, a biosimilar version of Merck’s Keytruda, while Cipla USA will be responsible for commercialization and sales in the United States.
-   QL2107 was developed to offer patients a more affordable treatment option that matches the original cancer therapy’s safety and efficacy profile.
-   Cipla said the agreement supports its strategy to expand its oncology-focused biosimilars portfolio, leveraging Qilu’s research and manufacturing capabilities and Cipla’s U.S. commercial network.
-   Keytruda, until recently the world’s top-selling drug, is used against 20 different kinds of ‌cancerous tumors and ⁠45 types and stages of cancer. Merck is set to lose patent protection for Keytruda in 2028.

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> **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**