Biocon Limited has signed a licence agreement with Janssen Sciences Ireland for the commercialisation of Yesintek™, its proposed biosimilar to Stelara® (ustekinumab), in nine additional markets. The agreement covers Australia, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea and Kazakhstan, with the market entry rights effective immediately.
The agreement expands Biocon’s plans for the global launch of Yesintek and builds on previously announced arrangements with Janssen covering market entry dates in the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.The additional rights will allow Biocon to introduce the biosimilar in the newly covered markets, subject to applicable regulatory requirements. The company said the expansion would help make an affordable treatment option available to patients affected by autoimmune diseases.
Yesintek is a proposed biosimilar to Stelara, whose active ingredient is ustekinumab. The medicine is a human interleukin-12 and interleukin-23 antagonist. It works by disrupting signalling mediated by IL-12 and IL-23, pathways involved in immune-mediated diseases.
The reference product is approved for the treatment of several conditions, including Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. These conditions can require long-term treatment and ongoing management, making access to biologic medicines an important consideration for patients and healthcare systems.
Biocon’s agreement with Janssen adds nine countries and territories to its planned market access footprint for Yesintek. The arrangements announced earlier established market entry dates for key markets, including the United States and several major markets in Europe and Asia.
The expansion comes as biosimilars continue to provide an alternative to established biologic medicines. Their availability can broaden treatment options and support competition in markets where the reference medicine has significant sales. According to the company’s announcement, Stelara recorded worldwide sales of US$6.08 billion in 2025. The sales figure reflects the scale of the market for ustekinumab-based treatment.
Biocon Limited is listed on the BSE under code 532523 and on the National Stock Exchange of India under the symbol BIOCON. The company develops and commercialises medicines and therapies for a range of medical conditions. The latest licence agreement provides Biocon with additional market entry rights for Yesintek. The company’s ability to commercialise the product in each market will depend on the applicable regulatory and launch requirements.
