• FYB202/Otulfi® received European Commission (EC) approval for both subcutaneous and intravenous formulations, providing a high-quality treatment option for European patients treated with ustekinumab
  • FYB202/Otulfi® is approved in the indications of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis

Planegg-Martinsried, Germany – Formycon AG (FSE: FYB, “Formycon”) and its commercialization partner Fresenius Kabi jointly announce that the European Commission (EC) has issued a marketing authorization for FYB202/Otulfi®1, a biosimilar to Stelara®2. The centralized marketing authorization is valid in all European Economic Area (EEA) countries, including the 27 European Union (EU) Member States as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Ustekinumab is a human monoclonal antibody that targets the cytokines interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 which play an important role in inflammatory and immune responses. The European Commission’s decision to issue a marketing authorization came after the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) within the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) adopted a positive opinion in July 2024 to approve FYB202/Otulfi® in the indications of moderately to severely active Crohn’s disease, moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and active psoriatic arthritis. The EC decision is based on a thorough evaluation of a comprehensive data package including analytical, pre-clinical, clinical and manufacturing data. FYB202 demonstrated comparable efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics to the reference drug Stelara® in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis vulgaris (plaque psoriasis).

In February 2023, Formycon and Fresenius Kabi entered into a global license agreement providing Fresenius Kabi with commercialization rights for FYB202 in key global markets. Semi-exclusive commercialization rights that cover Germany, parts of the MENA region and Latin America remain with Formycon. In March 2024, Formycon and Fresenius Kabi reached a settlement agreement with Johnson & Johnson concerning the commercialization of their ustekinumab biosimilar in Europe and Canada. The terms of the agreement are confidential. Stelara® ranks among Europe’s top-10 medicine brands by value with annual sales in Europe in excess of €2.5 billion.

Dr. Stefan Glombitza, CEO of Formycon AG, said: “FYB202/ustekinumab is our second biosimilar with market approval in Europe, and this marks another very important step on our way to a leading, profitable and sustainable pure-play biosimilar company. Chronic inflammatory diseases are globally on the rise and negatively impact the quality of life of millions of people. This especially relates to Europe, which has the highest prevalence of psoriatic diseases in the world.3 With FYB202/Otulfi® we are – together with our partner Fresenius Kabi – committed to providing a safe, effective and cost-efficient treatment option for this large number of patients.”

Dr. Sang-Jin Pak, President Biopharma and member of the Fresenius Kabi Management Board, said: “With the approval of Otulfi® in Europe, we expand our biosimilar portfolio with the fourth biosimilar to better support patients’ treatment experience and clinical outcomes. Our ustekinumab biosimilar is a testament to our dedication and commitment to patients across Europe, and we are proud to continue to deliver high-quality and affordable therapies for autoimmune diseases, while striving to ease the burden on local healthcare systems.”

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1) Otulfi® is a registered trademark of Fresenius Kabi Deutschland GmbH in selected countries

2) Stelara® is a registered trademark of Johnson & Johnson

3)) https://cms.ifpa-pso.com/tools/20072022_IFPA-FORUM_Briefing-Book_Speaking-up.pdf