Outstanding Therapeutic Efficacy and Direct Sales Competitiveness Behind the Success
Celltrion's autoimmune disease treatment 'Remsima' (generic name infliximab) has surpassed annual sales of 1.2 trillion KRW, becoming 'Korea's first global blockbuster pharmaceutical product.'
According to Celltrion on the 26th, Remsima recorded 1.268 trillion KRW in sales last year, accounting for 35.6% of Celltrion's total revenue. In Korea, a pharmaceutical product with annual global sales exceeding 1 trillion KRW is called a 'global blockbuster.' Among pharmaceuticals developed by domestic companies, Remsima is the first to achieve this. Celltrion posted consolidated sales of 3.5573 trillion KRW and an operating profit of 492 billion KRW last year.
Outstanding Therapeutic Efficacy and Direct Sales Competitiveness Behind the Success
Remsima is already a product that has earned the 'first' title both domestically and internationally. It is the 'world's first developed antibody biosimilar.' It laid the foundation in the global antibody drug market, where biosimilars have become a major segment. After Remsima's launch, leading global big pharma companies began developing biosimilars for original drugs nearing patent expiration, accelerating the emergence of biosimilars with excellent therapeutic efficacy and price competitiveness, thereby improving patient access to healthcare worldwide.
Remsima also holds the title of 'the world's first antibody biosimilar to surpass the original product in market share.' After its launch in Europe in September 2013, it recorded a 52% market share (IQVIA) by the end of 2017, about four years later, becoming the first antibody biosimilar to exceed the original product's share. The year 2017 was also when it achieved over 1.2 trillion KRW (IQVIA) in prescriptions globally, earning the honor of being 'the first Korean pharmaceutical product to surpass 1 trillion KRW in annual global prescription sales.'
In 2022, it achieved the meaningful record of being 'the first Korean pharmaceutical product to receive regulatory approval in over 100 countries,' firmly establishing itself as a major global autoimmune disease treatment.
The success of Remsima is attributed to the synergy between its outstanding therapeutic efficacy and Celltrion's country-specific tailored direct sales strategy. Celltrion is the only Korean pharmaceutical and biotech company that directly sells its drugs globally, operating 40 overseas subsidiaries worldwide that implement optimal sales strategies reflecting the characteristics of each national pharmaceutical market, thereby enhancing performance.
Rapid Growth of RemsimaSC... Continued Growth Expected for Remsima Product Line
The rapid growth of RemsimaSC, the world's only infliximab SC (subcutaneous) formulation treatment reborn from Remsima, is also attracting significant market attention.
When RemsimaSC was launched in Europe in 2020, its market share was only 1%, but by the third quarter of last year, it had grown significantly to 21%. In particular, the proportion of patients who first switched from competing products to Remsima and then transitioned to RemsimaSC for maintenance therapy is increasing, so continuous performance growth is expected this year as well.
Last year, RemsimaSC was also launched in the United States, the world's largest pharmaceutical market, under the product name 'Zimpentra.' It successfully established a foundation for expanding prescriptions by signing listing contracts with all three major Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) that cover 80% of the insurance market. Since September last year, media advertising using TV and YouTube has also begun, and based on rising product preference among medical professionals and patients, sales of Zimpentra in the U.S. are expected to accelerate further this year.
A Celltrion official said, "We are very proud that Remsima has become Korea's first global blockbuster pharmaceutical product, leaving a new milestone in the history of the domestic pharmaceutical and biotech industry. We will not be complacent with Remsima's success but will accelerate the launch of follow-up biosimilars including RemsimaSC, and furthermore, successfully promote new drug development such as ADCs and multi-antibodies to do our best for the birth of the second and third Remsima."
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