Feb 21 (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceuticals and

Alvotech ( ALVO ) said on Friday they have launched a biosimilar

to Johnson & Johnson's ( JNJ ) autoimmune drug Stelara in the

United States.

Selarsdi, like Stelara, is approved for the treatment of

moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, active psoriatic arthritis,

and moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and ulcerative

colitis.

Stelara, introduced in 2009, has been J&J's top-selling

drug since 2019. Amgen ( AMGN ) in 2023 reached a settlement to

delay the launch of its biosimilar, with the treatment only

launching in January this year.