Kukje Pharm and Celltrion will comarket Eylea biosimilar

in Korea

Celltrion CEO Young-ho Yoo (left) and Kukje Pharm CEO Tae-hoon Nam is posing for a commemorative photo after signing the MOU.

By taking in Celltrion's Eylea biosimilar, Kukje Pharm has further strengthened its position in the domestic ophthalmic disease treatment market.

 

On the 2nd, Kukje Pharm announced that it has entered into a strategic marketing partnership agreement with Celltrion to commercialize CT-P42 (Eylea biosimilar, aflibercept), an ophthalmic retinal disease treatment developed by Celltrion, in Korea.

 

Under the agreement, Celltrion will exclusively distribute CT-P42 in Korea to Kukje Pharm, and Kukje Pham will provide patients with access to the high-quality biologic drug in Korea by taking charge of its domestic sales and distribution as soon as CT-P42 is approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in Korea.

 

Eylea, which was developed by the US company Regeneron, binds to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors and inhibits neovascularization.

 

It is used to treat ophthalmic retinal diseases such as neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, macular edema following retinal vein occlusion, and vision impairment due to choroidal neovascularization by Among them, wet macular degeneration causes abnormal new blood vessels to grow underneath the macula, which expands and can produce hemorrhage, edema, and damage to the retina and macula, leading to decreased vision and even blindness.

 

It has recently been recognized as one of the top 3 causes of blindness in people over 65 years of age.

 

Eylea’s annual global market sales amount to approximately USD 1.3 billion and is about KRW 97 billion in Korea and sales with the growing number of patients with macular degeneration.

 

Kukje Pharm already has a diverse product lineup in the field of ophthalmic disease treatments and has recently established itself as a strong player in the ophthalmic disease market with the successful launch of its new and improved drug ‘Reba-eye Eye Drops'.

 

The partnership is expected to enhance the company's competitiveness in the market by adding the Eylea biosimilar to its existing lineup of various ophthalmic disease treatments, including Reba-eye Eye Dropgs, Cualone Eye Drops, and Retium Tab.

 

Both companies expect the partnership to provide patients with broader treatment options in the domestic ophthalmic disease therapeutics market.

 

A Kukje Pharm official said, "This agreement further strengthens our position in the ophthalmic therapeutic area and enables us to provide patients with more effective treatment options through the domestic sales of CT-P42.

 

We plan to leverage our company’s existing marketing and distribution network to ensure the successful launch of CT-P42."