BRIEF—Almirall sets up affiliates in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

With the aim of strengthening its presence in these markets and its leadership in Europe in medical dermatology, Spain’s leading drugmaker Almirall has opened new affiliates in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The subsidiary will be managed from Prague by the recently appointed Czech Republic & Slovakia general manager, David Festa.

The strategy set for Almirall in the Czech and Slovak markets, where until now the company was commercializing through distributors, is to work towards the launch of new products in these countries to further develop its established portfolio in medical dermatology.

The company recently received the approval of the reimbursed price for Ilumetri (tildrakizumab), an anti-interleukin (IL)-23 biologic for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, in these two countries for the treatment of adult patients with severe chronic plaque psoriasis and has initiated its commercialization this month.

The product has been continuously growing in European Union countries such as Germany, where the anti-IL23 class holds a leading position of new patient market.

The market for biologics to treat psoriasis in the Czech Republic and Slovakia amounts to 55 million euros ($%$.5 million) and the growth of the IL-23 class is 47% in 2021 compared to 2020, according to Almirall.