Celltrion's autoimmune disease treatment, Remsima (ingredient: infliximab), has surpassed annual sales of 1.2 trillion KRW, becoming Korea’s first global blockbuster drug.
On the 25th, Celltrion announced its consolidated preliminary results, revealing annual sales of 3.5573 trillion KRW and operating profit of 492 billion KRW for the previous year. Among this, Remsima contributed 1.268 trillion KRW, accounting for 35.6% of the total revenue. Remsima, a biosimilar to Janssen's Remicade developed in Belgium, is the first product developed by a Korean company to surpass 1 trillion KRW in sales. In Korea, drugs with annual global sales exceeding 1 trillion KRW are referred to as "global blockbusters."
Remsima is the "world's first developed antibody biosimilar" and has played a crucial role in the global antibody drug market, where biosimilars have become a major component. Since the introduction of Remsima, many leading global big pharma companies have started developing biosimilars for original drugs whose patents were about to expire. This accelerated the emergence of highly effective, competitively priced biosimilars, increasing patient access to medical care worldwide.
Remsima also holds the title of being the "first antibody biosimilar to surpass the market share of the original product." After its European launch in September 2013, Remsima reached a 52% market share (IQVIA) by the end of 2017, becoming the first antibody biosimilar to surpass the original product's market share. In 2022, it also achieved the record of being the "first domestic drug to be approved in over 100 regulatory markets."
Celltrion attributes the success of Remsima to its exceptional therapeutic efficacy and customized direct sales strategy tailored to each country. Celltrion is the only Korean pharmaceutical and biotech company that directly markets its drugs globally. Through 40 overseas subsidiaries, it has implemented the best sales strategies tailored to the pharmaceutical market characteristics of each country, resulting in strong performance.
The rapid growth of Remsima SC (subcutaneous injection) is also noteworthy. Launched in Europe in 2020, Remsima SC initially held a mere 1% market share, but by the third quarter of last year, it had surged to 21%.
A Celltrion official commented, "We are deeply honored to leave a new mark in the history of the domestic pharmaceutical and biotech industry. We will not rest on Remsima's success and will accelerate the launch of subsequent biosimilars, including Remsima SC, while also pushing forward with successful new drug development to ensure the birth of a second and third Remsima."
