Celltrion partners with US pharmacy chain for Yuflyma sales

Celltrion Healthcare, Celltrion's distribution unit, said Monday it has signed a deal with US specialty pharmacy chain CarePartners Pharmacy to sell its Humira biosimilar Yuflyma in the US market.

CarePartners Pharmacy is a national pharmacy that distributes medications across all 50 states and Washington DC, focusing on several niche programs, including autoimmune therapies.

Under the contract, Yuflyma will be distributed to drug stores operated by CarePartners Pharmacy nationwide, starting from the end of this month.

Celltrion said the partnership is expected to raise the presence of the Yuflyma autoimmune disease biosimilar among over 10 million patients in the US.

Yuflyma will be the only adalimumab sold at CarePartners Pharmacy drugstores as the US partner has decided not to sell AbbVie's blockbuster drug Humira and other competing biosimilars in the market.

Celltrion said it could ink the exclusive contract due to the drug's convenience both for patients and health care providers.

“Yuflyma uses a high concentration, citrate-free formulation, causing less pain when injected. The medication also comes with a latex-free injectable device, which can reduce allergy risk,” an official from Celltrion said.

Meanwhile, Celltrion Healthcare said the company will tap pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), including Optum, to enlist Yuflyma in their formulary lists.

PBMs are companies that manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers. They negotiate fees and rebates with drug providers and create formulary lists of medications covered by insurance and reimburse pharmacies for patients' prescriptions.

Celltrion Healthcare said the company will increase its marketing efforts, with a goal of capturing around 40 percent share in the PBM market for adalimumab by the end of this year.