Beyond Hospitals to Pharmacies... Celltrion Steps Up Expansion of European Sales Network

More Than 9,000 Pharmacies and 800 Hospitals
Follow-On Products Such as Omlyclo and Aptozma Also Delivering Results

Celltrion is expanding its sales in Europe beyond the hospital- and tender-focused channels to pharmacies, while accelerating sales of high-margin follow-on products. After posting record results in the third quarter, the company is expected to continue growing in the fourth quarter.

On October 21, Celltrion said it plans to step up pharmacy sales of its biosimilar portfolio by leveraging the sales network of more than 9,000 pharmacies and supply network of more than 800 hospitals held by French healthcare company Gifrer.

The first product will be Stoboclo-Osenvelt (generic name: denosumab), a treatment for bone diseases. Celltrion has also secured more than 140 products held by Gifrer, including over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and health supplements, as new sources of revenue. Since acquiring Gifrer and Swiss pharmaceutical distributor iQone, Celltrion has steadily expanded its distribution network and product portfolio in Europe.

High-margin follow-on products are also delivering results. Omlyclo (generic name: omalizumab), a treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria and allergic asthma, is the first omalizumab biosimilar launched in Europe and had a market share of about 90% in Spain as of July this year. It also exceeded its initial sales target in Italy, and Celltrion quickly launched a 300 mg dose in Germany to meet local demand. Aptozma (generic name: tocilizumab), a treatment for autoimmune diseases, won major tenders in the Netherlands, including those from the large pharmaceutical purchasing group IZAAZ and the southeastern regional pharmaceutical purchasing group ICZON. As a result, Celltrion secured supply volumes equivalent to about 58% of the local tocilizumab market.

Sales of its existing flagship products also remain strong. Remsima SC (generic name: infliximab) reached a quarterly record market share of about 32% in the five major European markets (EU5) in the first quarter of this year. Vegzelma (generic name: bevacizumab), a treatment for metastatic colorectal and breast cancer, has maintained its No. 1 position in the European market for 21 consecutive months with a market share of about 28%, while Yuflyma (generic name: adalimumab) has also recorded a market share of about 22%.

Building on these results, Celltrion plans to continue its growth in the fourth quarter, following its performance in the third quarter. A Celltrion official said, "We are creating new growth opportunities in the European market by strengthening the competitiveness of our existing biologics sales while expanding our distribution channels and product portfolio. By tailoring our sales strategies to the characteristics of each country's market and expanding sales of high-margin follow-on products, we will continue to grow revenue and improve profitability in the fourth quarter."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.