[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] Celltrion has successfully expanded its coverage by signing a formulary listing contract for its autoimmune disease treatment drug 'Steqeyma' (ingredient name: ustekinumab) with one of the top five prescription drug benefit managers (PBM) in the United States.

As Celltrion secures the private insurance area under the jurisdiction of the PBM through this contract, Stekima is scheduled to receive a refund starting July 1.

This contract is the second achievement that Celltrion has made with a large US PBM for the listing of Stekima in the formulary. Prior to this, on the 3rd of last month, the company completed a contract with one of the three largest PBMs in the US and secured the PBM’s public-private insurance formulary. As it has secured two of the top five PBMs, which account for approximately 90% of the entire US insurance market, it is expected to have a positive effect on the ongoing negotiations with other large PBMs.

In the United States, reimbursement is only provided for drugs listed on the PBM-managed formulary, so in reality, a contract with a PBM is essential to sell products.

Expectations for brisk sales are rising as Celltrion signed its first contract with a large PBM just one month after launching Stekima in the US, and soon followed up with other large PBMs. It is reported that the coverage that Celltrion has secured since launching Stekima in the US in March is approximately 30% of the entire US market.

Celltrion's US subsidiary has been building friendly networks with key local stakeholder groups by directly selling 'Zimfentra' (ingredient name: infliximab, US product name for Remsima SC) and 'Euplyma' (ingredient name: adalimumab) in the autoimmune disease treatment group that Stekima belongs to. In particular, as the trust in Celltrion products is increasing among medical professionals who actually prescribe drugs, it is expected that Stekima prescriptions will accelerate further from the time the formulary listing is completed.

In addition, as the autoimmune disease product portfolio is strengthened, more strategic marketing activities such as bundling will become possible, which will further enhance local sales competitiveness. As Celltrion’s US subsidiary has been communicating closely with major US doctors in the process of selling the existing Zimfentra and Uplyma, it plans to focus on sales activities to maximize sales synergy by actively utilizing the strengths of its product portfolio.

“Stekima’s coverage is steadily expanding as we have signed contracts with major PBMs one after another in just over a month since its launch in the U.S.,” said Thomas Nusbickel, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Celltrion America. “Celltrion will continue to work with various stakeholders, including insurers, physicians, and patient groups, to ensure that U.S. patients suffering from chronic diseases can quickly enjoy the therapeutic benefits of Stekima.”

Meanwhile, according to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, the global market size of ustekinumab, the raw material of Stekima, is estimated to be approximately 21.6606 billion dollars (approximately 30.3248 trillion won) in 2024, of which the US market size is approximately 16.70381 billion dollars (approximately 23.3853 trillion won), accounting for approximately 77% of the total.