Kyowa Kirin’s North America Expansion Progresses With Crysvita Commercial Takeover

Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd.’s North American affiliate took over commercialization of Crysvita (burosumab) from its partner Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Inc. in the US and Canada in a planned transition, an important prong of the Japanese pharma’s growth plan in the region. The company has spent several years laying the commercial groundwork and thinks it can grow the market for the rare disease drug.

Kyowa Kirin and Ultragenyx collaborated on the development and commercialization of Crysvita, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for two rare diseases. While Kyowa Kirin discovered the IgG1 monoclonal antibody and sells the product outside of North America, the company partnered with Ultragenyx in 2013 for the US and Canadian markets while it worked to build its rare disease commercial infrastructure