UCB's new psoriasis biologic Bimzelx debuts in Korea with reimbursement

Belgium-based UCB's novel psoriasis therapy, Bimzelx (ingredient: bimekizumab), has officially entered Korea's competitive plaque psoriasis market with national health insurance coverage, positioning it as a new treatment option backed by a differentiated dual-action mechanism.

Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare began reimbursing Bimzelx as of June 1 for moderate-to-severe adult plaque psoriasis patients requiring phototherapy or systemic treatment. The reimbursement comes roughly 10 months after UCB filed for pricing in August last year. The drug is now being rolled out in Korea through local affiliate UCB Korea.

Bimzelx is reimbursed at 801,332 won ($591) per injection. Eligible patients will pay approximately 80,000 won out-of-pocket per injection. Standard dosing consists of 320 mg (160 mg × 2) administered subcutaneously at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 16, followed by maintenance dosing every eight weeks. 

Although its cost competitiveness is not as aggressive as some latecomers, UCB Korea expects to gain traction based on its efficacy profile, particularly among biologic-experienced or treatment-resistant patients.

In celebration of the event, UCB UK Research Head Stevan Shaw visited Korea to speak at a press conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul on Thursday.

Bimzelx is the first and only biologic therapy to selectively inhibit both interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and interleukin-17F (IL-17F)—two cytokines known to play overlapping but distinct roles in the inflammatory cascade underlying psoriasis.

According to Shaw, this dual inhibition is the key to the drug's enhanced efficacy.

“While IL-17A is biologically stronger, IL-17F is more abundantly expressed in psoriatic lesions,” Shaw said. “Bimzelx is designed to directly and selectively block both IL-17A and F, allowing for faster, deeper, and longer-lasting skin clearance compared to agents that block IL-17A alone.”

Shaw emphasized that this was demonstrated in phase 3 trials such as BE READY, where 90.8 percent of patients reached Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) PASI 90 by week 16, and 68.2 percent achieved PASI 100. In long-term follow-up, 83 percent of patients sustained PASI 100 at week 56.

Additionally, comparative studies with other biologics reinforced Bimzelx’s performance, with PASI 100 rates at week 16 reaching 59 percent for Bimzelx compared to 21 percent for Stelara (ingredient: ustekinumab) in the BE VIVID trial, 60.8 percent versus 23.9 percent for Humira (ingredient: adalimumab) in the BE SURE trial, and 61.7 percent versus 48.9 percent for Cosentyx (ingredient: secukinumab) in the BE RADIANT trial.

Beyond efficacy, Bimzelx also demonstrates a rapid onset of action. By week 4, 45.3 percent of patients had already achieved PASI 90, and 75.9 percent reached PASI 75. Moreover, a dosing schedule of once every 8 weeks during maintenance offers convenience compared to other biologics that require more frequent administration.

“Bimzelx has not only shown the highest likelihood of achieving PASI 90 and PASI 100 in both clinical and meta-analyses, but also maintains these responses over long periods, even up to five years,” Professor Kim Jeong-eun of the Department of Dermatology at Hanyang University Seoul Hospital said.

She noted that many patients failed to achieve complete skin clearance with existing treatments, which often fall below a 50 percent PASI 100 rate.

“From a clinical perspective, Bimzelx could be a valuable option for patients who have not responded to other therapies,” she said. “The decision to use it early or later in the treatment sequence will depend on individual patient characteristics and physician judgment.”

Psoriasis ‘cure’ within reach?

Shaw also touched on the long-term outlook for psoriasis therapy, hinting at the possibility of functional remission, or even a cure, with earlier intervention.

“If patients begin Bimzelx treatment within two years of disease onset, which is before immunological memory becomes entrenched, they may achieve long-term drug-free remission,” he said. “Psoriasis could become one of the first immune-mediated diseases where we can seriously talk about the possibility of a cure.”

However, Shaw acknowledged the challenges ahead in aligning economic models and access pathways with emerging treatment paradigms.

“If we can extend dosing intervals to once every two to three years, society and pharma will need to work together to adapt pricing and reimbursement frameworks,” he said.