South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion announced Thursday that it has signed a second major deal with one of the top five pharmacy benefit managers in the US, securing private insurance coverage for its autoimmune disease treatment, Steqeyma (ustekinumab).
Starting July 1, Steqeyma will be eligible for reimbursement through the newly secured PBM, significantly broadening patient access.
This agreement follows an earlier deal finalized on April 3 with one of the top three PBMs in the US, giving Steqeyma a foothold in both public and private insurance formularies.
With these two contracts, Celltrion now covers nearly 30 percent of the US pharmaceutical insurance market, which is an impressive milestone achieved within a month of the company’s US launch.
Celltrion’s prior success with its other autoimmune treatments, such as Zymfentra and Yuflyma, has helped build trust among US health care providers.
The company plans to leverage its expanded product portfolio for bundled marketing strategies, enhancing its competitiveness in the US market.
According to pharmaceutical market research firm IQVIA, the global market for ustekinumab reached $21.6 billion in 2024, with the US accounting for nearly 77 percent.
Celltrion aims to further strengthen collaboration with doctors, insurers and patient groups to ensure broad access to Steqeyma.
By Park Soo-bin (spark@heraldcorp.com)
