Strong sales for Cresemba® (isavuconazole) in Japan trigger second milestone payment from Asahi Kasei Pharma to Basilea

Allschwil, Switzerland, April 24, 2025

Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil (SIX: BSLN), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to meeting the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections, reported today that the sales of the antifungal Cresemba^® (isavuconazole) in Japan exceeded the threshold triggering a sales milestone payment from its partner Asahi Kasei Pharma (AKP), amounting to approximately CHF 1.7 million. This is the second milestone payment from AKP to Basilea in consecutive quarters.

David Veitch, Chief Executive Officer of Basilea, said: “We are very pleased with the continued strong Cresemba sales performance by our partner AKP. Japan is a key commercial market with significant growth potential in the long-term and the strong sales uptake in the country shows that Cresemba is meeting critical medical needs of patients with life-threatening fungal infections.”

Cresemba is marketed in more than 70 countries. According to the latest available market data, total global in-market sales of Cresemba in the twelve-month period between January and December 2024 amounted to USD 562 million, a 19 percent growth year-on-year, making it the largest branded antifungal for invasive fungal infections worldwide.¹

About Cresemba^® (isavuconazole)

Cresemba, with the active ingredient isavuconazole, is an intravenous (i.v.) and oral azole antifungal. Basilea has entered into several license and distribution agreements for Cresemba covering approximately 115 countries. In Japan, the oral and intravenous formulations are approved for the treatment of adult patients with aspergillosis (invasive aspergillosis, chronic progressive pulmonary aspergillosis, and simple pulmonary aspergilloma), mucormycosis, and cryptococcosis.² Isavuconazole is also approved in the European Union³, the United Kingdom⁴, the United States⁵, China and several additional countries including in the Asia Pacific region.⁶

About Basilea

Basilea is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2000 and headquartered in Switzerland. We are committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative drugs to meet the needs of patients with severe bacterial and fungal infections. We have successfully launched two hospital brands, Cresemba for the treatment of invasive fungal infections and Zevtera for the treatment of bacterial infections. In addition, we have preclinical and clinical anti-infective assets in our portfolio. Basilea is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: BSLN). Please visit basilea.com.

Disclaimer

This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements, such as “believe”, “assume”, “expect”, “forecast”, “project”, “may”, “could”, “might”, “will” or similar expressions concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil and its business, including with respect to the progress, timing and completion of research, development and clinical studies for product candidates. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd, Allschwil is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com. 

References

1. IQVIA Analytics Link, December 2024. In-market sales reported as moving annual total (MAT) in US dollar.
2. PMDA List of Approved Drugs April 2022 to March 2023: https://www.pmda.go.jp/files/000267877.pdf [Accessed: April 23, 2025]
3. European Public Assessment Report (EPAR): https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/cresemba [Accessed: April 23, 2025]
4. Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) Cresemba: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/search?q=cresemba [Accessed: April 23, 2025]
5. Full US prescribing information: https://www.astellas.us/docs/cresemba.pdf [Accessed: April 23, 2025]
6. The registration status and approved indications may vary from country to country.

Attachments

• Press release (PDF)