UCB's Bimzelx approved in Japan for plaque psoriasis

Belgium biopharma UCB (Euronext: UCB) today announced that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has granted marketing authorization for Bimzelx (bimekizumab) for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, generalized pustular psoriasis and psoriatic erythroderma in patients who are not sufficiently responding to existing treatments.

Bimekizumab is the first approved psoriasis treatment in Japan that is designed to selectively and directly inhibit two key cytokines driving inflammatory processes – interleukin 17F (IL-17F) and interleukin 17A (IL-17A). UCB’s shares were down 2.5% at 88.84 euros by late morning trading.

This announcement marks the third approval for bimekizumab worldwide, following marketing authorization in countries of the European Union/European Economic Area and Great Britain in August 2021 for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.