Celltrion's 'Zymfentra' Listed by Big Three PBMs

Celltrion's 'Zymfentra', has been successfully listed in the formularies of all three major Pharmacy Benefit Managers (or PBMs) in the United States.

On August 5, Celltrion announced on its website that it had successfully finalized a listing agreement for Zymfentra with one of the top three PBMs in the U.S. As a result, Zymfentra is now included in the formularies of all three major PBMs.

PBMs are companies that specialize in managing prescription drugs in the U.S. They collaborate with insurance companies to manage drug formularies, negotiate drug prices, and establish pharmacy networks. Being listed in a PBM formulary means that the drug is integrated into the U.S. healthcare insurance system. Notably, the three major PBMs—CVS Health, Express Scripts (ESI), and Optum—control about 80% of the total insurance market.

Among these, Celltrion has completed listing agreements for both private and public insurance with two companies, including Express Scripts. For the remaining PBM, the public insurance agreement is finalized, with only the commercial insurance agreement pending further negotiations. The U.S. insurance market is divided into commercial and public insurance, and PBMs sign separate listing agreements for each.

Through these agreements, Celltrion has secured approximately 75% coverage of the entire U.S. insurance market within five months of Zymfentra’s launch in March. The company sees this as establishing a robust foundation for the growth of Zymfentra in the world's largest pharmaceutical market. However, the names of the PBMs have not been disclosed due to contractual obligations.

A Celltrion representative stated, "We are dedicated to expanding Zymfentra’s listing coverage and will do our utmost to convert these achievements into tangible sales."

Zymfentra is the world’s first subcutaneous (SC) formulation of infliximab for the treatment of autoimmune diseases, developed independently by Celltrion. It received new drug approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October last year and was launched in March, with a focus on expanding sales.