Bimzelx may be prescribed at general hospitals in KOR

UCB Korea’s psoriasis drug

Passes review by drug committees (DCs) at tertiary hospitals including Asan Medical Center and Severance Hospital

Reimbursement effective from June... Expected to meet unmet demand

The new psoriasis drug Bimzelx may be prescribed at general hospitals in Korea.

 

According to industry sources, UCB Pharma Korea's Bimzelx (bimekizumab) has been approved by the Drug Committees (DCs) of major hospitals nationwide, including tertiary hospitals like Seoul Asan Medical Center and Severance Hospital as well as major hospitals including Kyungpook National University Hospital, Pusan National University Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, and Hanyang University Hospital.

 

The company appears to be rapidly working to expand Bimzelx prescriptions following its reimbursement listing in June.

 

i1Bimzelx is the first plaque psoriasis treatment that dually inhibits interleukin-17A and 17F (IL-17A and 17F).

 

IL-17A and IL-17F are key cytokines that trigger the inflammatory process in psoriasis, and Bimzelx selectively and directly targets and inhibits both simultaneously.

 

This dual inhibition mechanism against IL-17A and 17F is what makes the drug’s introduction significant.

 

Despite the emergence of various psoriasis treatments, there remained an unmet need in practice due to resistance and other factors, which is why health professionals saw the introduction and reimbursement of Bimzelx encouraging.

 

Yong-Beom Choi, President of the Korean Society for Psoriasis (Department of Dermatology, Konkuk University Medical Center), said, “Psoriasis is an intractable disease that recurs and improves repeatedly, and the quality of life of patients with severe psoriasis in particular tends to deteriorate significantly, affecting their mental health.

 

Therefore, the reimbursement and launch of Bimzelx, which has been proven to be highly effective, is very meaningful for both medical professionals and patients.” He added, “Based on its next-generation mechanism of action, Bimzelx is expected to be an excellent treatment option for both new patients and those who have not seen sufficient results with existing treatments.” Meanwhile, in the Phase III BE READY trial, 90.8% of patients in the Bimzelx group achieved PASI 90 at Week 16, and 68.2% of patients achieved PASI 100.

 

In another clinical trial that compared Bimzelx with another biological agent, there was a clear difference in the percentage of patients who achieved complete clearance of skin lesions at Week 16, or 'PASI 100'.

 

Specifically, PASI 100 for the drug and control drug were as follows: ▲BE VIVID: Bimzelx 59%, ustekinumab (Stelara) 21% ▲BE SURE: Bimzelx 60%.

 

8%, adalimumab (Humira) 23.9% ▲BE RADIANT: Bimzelx 61.7%, secukinumab (Cosentyx) 48.9%, etc.