Celltrion (068270.KS) has launched an intravenous (IV) version of Steqeyma, an autoimmune disease treatment whose active ingredient is ustekinumab, in Japan, stepping up its push into the local market.
Celltrion said on the 21st that it completed the local launch about four months after obtaining product approval for the IV version of Steqeyma from Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in April. The company also expanded the drug's scope of treatment by adding Crohn's disease (CD) to its existing indications for psoriasis (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Celltrion's Japan unit plans to use the sales channels and medical networks it built through sales of Remsima (infliximab) and Yuflyma (adalimumab) to establish Steqeyma in the market. As of May this year, Remsima and Yuflyma held Japanese market shares of 46.9% and 19.5%, respectively, ranking first in biosimilar prescriptions.
Having both IV and subcutaneous (SC) versions is also cited as a competitive advantage. Patients can receive initial treatment through induction therapy using the IV version, then manage the disease over the long term through maintenance therapy using the SC version. Among ustekinumab biosimilars currently on the market in Japan, Steqeyma is the only product with both IV and SC versions.
In the second half of the year, Celltrion plans to promote Steqeyma's competitiveness at major conferences such as Japan Digestive Disease Week (JDDW) and the Japanese Society for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (JSIBD) to expand prescriptions. The company also intends to use the network it has built with medical staff and pharmacists as a sales base for Remsima SC, which is scheduled to launch next year.
"With the launch of the IV version of Steqeyma, we have secured both versions and gained a differentiated strength over competitors," a Celltrion official said. "We will use the network built through sales of our existing products to lead Steqeyma's early establishment in the market and expand our influence in Japan's autoimmune disease market."
