Celltrion Healthcare said on Tuesday that Vegzelma (bevacizumab), a biosimilar to Genentech’s Avastin for treating metastatic colorectal and breast cancer, is now a preferred drug on Ventegra's U.S. formulary.

Ventegra, a leading Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) in the U.S., oversees reimbursement for prescription drugs, including those administered by healthcare professionals.

In the U.S., PBMs are entrusted by various insurance companies to manage drug costs, select and maintain drug lists, and review and pay drug claims. Consequently, the greater a drug's inclusion on major PBM formularies, the higher its likelihood of patient usage.

As a result, Vegzelma will be available to Ventegra's 13 million members.

In September, Celltrion Healthcare's Yuflyma (adalimumab) biosimilar for autoimmune disease treatment was added as a preferred drug to both public and private formularies under Ventegra's management.

Ventegra CEO Robert T. Taketomo said Ventegra's innovative healthcare business model surpasses traditional insurance systems, enhancing efficiencies, cutting costs, and improving overall healthcare quality.

"The addition of Yuflyma and Vegzelma to the Ventegra formulary will further improve access to care for patients," Taketomo said.

"We look forward to reaching more communities through our partnership with Celltrion Healthcare, and in the long term, providing comprehensive and affordable healthcare that improves the health of patients and contributes to healthier communities," he added.

Celltrion Healthcare said its direct sales model, which it introduced to the U.S. market for the first time this year, continues to deliver positive results and is well established.

Celltrion Healthcare also emphasized that the commercial capabilities of its locally recruited professionals are steadily building a network of key stakeholders, as well as customized marketing activities that take into account the specifics of the U.S. bio industry.

In addition, the company expressed its expectation that Celltrion Group's awareness and product preference in the U.S. will further increase in the future as Zymfentra, also known as Remsima SC, will be launched quickly in February next year, four months after obtaining a new drug license from the FDA.

"The addition of Vegzelma to the Ventegra’s formulary marks another important milestone in our efforts to improve access to care for U.S. patients with cancer," said Thomas Nusbickel, Chief Commercial Officer of Celltrion USA. "We are committed to expanding the availability of biologic medicines with proven efficacy and safety in the U.S."