Celltrion Healthcare Launches 'Remsima SC' in Canada... Full-Scale North America Expansion

Direct Sales Through Local Canadian Corporation

Remsima SC (Photo by Celltrion Healthcare)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ji-hee] Celltrion Healthcare announced on the 8th that it has launched the subcutaneous injection form of the autoimmune disease treatment biologic drug 'RemsimaSC (generic name infliximab)' in Canada.

Celltrion Healthcare obtained approval from Health Canada in January to sell RemsimaSC for the indication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The company has been expanding its marketing and sales personnel in its local Canadian subsidiary with plans to directly sell RemsimaSC in Canada. Efforts to recruit talent have included hiring sales director Jovan Antunovich, an expert from AbbVie and BMS.

According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, the Canadian autoimmune disease treatment (TNF-α inhibitors) market was approximately 2 trillion KRW as of 2020. Notably, unlike other regions, infliximab accounts for about half of the TNF-α inhibitor market in Canada. The IV formulation of Remsima holds a steady growth with a 16% market share in Canada (based on IQVIA Q4 2020 data). Accordingly, Celltrion Healthcare expects RemsimaSC to achieve stable prescription expansion through synergy with the IV formulation.

Celltrion Healthcare plans to quickly establish itself in the market from the early stages by strengthening customized marketing activities targeting key stakeholders who influence RemsimaSC prescriptions, including medical professionals, patients, hospitals, and insurers. To this end, it operates a 'Patient Support Program (PSP)' that provides prescription guides for RemsimaSC, supports insurance reimbursement processes, and assists with drug delivery, thereby enhancing patient convenience throughout the treatment process. Additionally, the company is implementing tailored sales strategies reflecting the characteristics of the Canadian pharmaceutical market, such as conducting Advisory Board Meetings (ABM) for doctors and patients and expanding meetings with major patient associations.

Professor Edward Keystone of the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in Canada stated, "Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that can cause irreversible joint damage if not properly treated," and expressed expectations, saying, "With RemsimaSC, it is now possible to manage dosing schedules more flexibly, enabling patients to manage their treatment status more efficiently."

A Celltrion Healthcare official said, "With RemsimaSC entering Canada, the second largest single-country TNF-α inhibitor market worldwide, we have officially begun targeting the North American market beyond the existing European region," adding, "Following Canada, RemsimaSC is scheduled to launch in Australia in the third quarter of this year, and we will focus on expanding the market so that prescriptions can be made globally."

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