Celltrion's 'Vegzelma' Expands into Middle East and North Africa

Local pharmaceutical company Hikma signs sales contract

Celltrion's biosimilar for metastatic colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer treatment, 'Vegzelma' (Photo by Celltrion Healthcare)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Celltrion Healthcare recently announced on the 4th that it has signed a partnership agreement with Hikma, the leading local pharmaceutical company in the Middle East, to supply 'Vegzelma' (generic name Bevacizumab), a biosimilar of 'Avastin' used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Through this, Celltrion Healthcare has signed a sales rights contract with Hikma to supply Vegzelma to 17 countries in the MENA region, including Jordan and Morocco. Hikma is Celltrion Healthcare’s global distribution partner that already sells five products?'Remsima', 'Remsima SC', 'Truxima', 'Herzuma', and 'Uplima'?in the region, and is leading the successful expansion of product prescriptions based on its experience and know-how regarding the market characteristics of the MENA region.

In addition to Vegzelma, Celltrion Healthcare also signed a sales contract for the 'Stelara' biosimilar 'CT-P43', strengthening its partnership with Hikma in the MENA region. With this contract, as the product portfolio in the MENA region is reinforced, Celltrion Healthcare’s market position in supplying biopharmaceuticals is expected to become even stronger.

A Celltrion Healthcare official stated, “The MENA region is a representative pharmaging market where the pharmaceutical market size is expanding due to continuous population growth and aging. We consider it meaningful that the first step to supply Vegzelma to patients in this region has begun, and we will do our best to ensure that Celltrion Group’s products reach more patients in the MENA region.”