Celltrion's autoimmune disease treatment Remsima (ingredient infliximab) topped 1 trillion won in annual sales again this year.
Celltrion said on the 10th that Remsima posted about 1.0495 trillion won in sales in the global market last year, surpassing 1 trillion won in annual sales for the second straight year after 2024.
The company said expanding the infliximab market in Europe lifted results as steady growth in prescriptions continued worldwide. According to IQVIA, the European infliximab market grew by about 9 percentage points a year from 2019 to 2024.
In particular, after the COVID-19 pandemic, demand has increased for the subcutaneous (SC) formulation that patients can administer themselves rather than in-hospital administration, and prescriptions for Remsima SC expanded significantly, the analysis said.
A company official said, "After switching from competing infliximab products to Remsima and then again to Remsima SC, the so-called 'dual formulation' strategy accelerated, boosting sales of both products."
As of the third quarter last year, Remsima recorded market shares of 62% in the United Kingdom, 49% in Spain, and 48% in Germany among Europe's five major countries. The company said it is leading the market with high shares in other European countries as well, including 75% in Ireland and 64% in Austria.
Celltrion expects to secure additional growth drivers this year through the newly introduced liquid formulation of Remsima.
According to the company, the liquid formulation cuts preparation time by more than 50% compared with the existing lyophilized formulation, and labor and consumables expense can be reduced to about 20%. Because no freezer is required, storage space and storage costs can also be reduced by up to 70%, it said.
Celltrion plans to roll out the liquid formulation of Remsima across Europe in phases starting in Northern Europe at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, Remsima SC recorded about 839.4 billion won in global sales last year, up about 40% from the prior year (600.7 billion won). The company expects that if this trend continues, it will likely surpass 1 trillion won in annual sales this year as well.
In the third quarter last year, Remsima SC exceeded a 30% market share for the first time in Europe's five major countries. In the United States, the company said it has been setting a record high for weekly prescriptions, posting an average monthly prescription growth rate of 31% since sales began in Mar. 2024.