[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] Steqeyma (ingredient name: ustekinumab), an autoimmune disease treatment drug sold by Celltrion, will be sold at Costco, a large U.S. retailer. This achievement was made in just two weeks after Steqeyma was launched in the U.S.

On the 22nd of this month (local time), Celltrion signed a contract for listing Steqeyma with Costco Health Solutions, a prescription drug benefit management (PBM) affiliate of Costco, the third largest retailer in the U.S. Through this, Steqeyma refunds will be made to PBM subscribers and Costco employees at pharmacies in Costco stores located throughout the U.S.

In this contract, Steqeyma has succeeded in establishing a foundation for early market dominance by being listed as a preferred drug. Usually, when listed as a preferred drug, it is given a high tier in the insurance company’s formulary, which allows it to be prescribed with priority over other competing products. In particular, in the case of biosimilars where competition is fierce, listing as a preferred drug directly leads to a competitive advantage, so Steqeyma’s rapid market expansion is expected.

In addition, through this Costco contract, it is analyzed as a clear achievement that the market previously occupied by the original product has been secured. With the contract signed, the original product, which was previously listed, will be excluded from the formulary, and since Steqeyma will take the lead in the market area occupied by the product, prescriptions are expected to accelerate even more.

Celltrion's US subsidiary also plans to accelerate listing talks with other PBMs, including one of the three major PBMs that is currently in the final contract stage.

There are a total of four autoimmune disease treatment products that Celltrion is supplying in the US, and local medical professionals are showing increasing interest in the marketing synergy between these products. Celltrion's expanded portfolio is expected to be the optimal treatment option for doctors who must consider the stable continuation of treatment for patients.

Thomas Nusbickel, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Celltrion America, said, “In the U.S., the world’s largest ustekinumab market, Steqeyma will be supplied to pharmacies at Costco stores, a large distributor, and we will be able to continue expanding our performance quickly as negotiations for a listing contract for Steqeyma with a major PBM are nearing the final stages.” He added, “We are confident that the newly launched Steqeyma will contribute to expanding treatment options for U.S. patients and reducing medical costs, and we will do our best to continue to supply high-quality biopharmaceuticals in the future.”

Meanwhile, Celltrion launched Steqeyma in the U.S. market on the 12th of this month (local time) as a low wholesale price (Low WAC) version, which is 85% discounted from the wholesale price (WAC) of the original product. This is evaluated as a strategy that can meet various demands, including large PBMs, small and medium-sized PBMs with low rebate negotiation power, and uninsured patients.