10th Anniversary of European Approval for Remsima... Celltrion Healthcare Launches Global Campaign

Remsima Celebrates 10th Anniversary of European Approval
Plans Commemorative Events Including Global Symposium

Celltrion Healthcare's autoimmune disease biosimilar 'Remsima (generic name infliximab),' which it markets, is celebrating its 10th anniversary of entering the European market this year. The company plans to carry out global campaigns, including symposiums, to commemorate the 10th anniversary.

Celltrion Healthcare Remsima.
[Photo by Celltrion Healthcare]

Remsima is the world's first antibody biosimilar to receive marketing authorization from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in September 2013. Even as it marks its 10th anniversary since launch, Remsima continues to hold the number one position in infliximab prescriptions. According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, Remsima recorded a market share of 56% across Europe in the first quarter, including 83% in the UK and 61% in France, outperforming not only subsequent biosimilar products but also the original drug.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its European approval, Celltrion Healthcare is launching various campaigns worldwide. Starting with the 2023 United European Gastroenterology Week (UEGW), the company plans to conduct global speaker tours and hold symposiums through the first half of next year. Through these efforts, they aim to re-examine the achievements Remsima has made over the past decade and establish the direction for the future.

In 2020, Celltrion Healthcare also launched 'RemsimaSC,' the world's first subcutaneous (SC) formulation of infliximab. The company explained that RemsimaSC received strong positive feedback from patients due to its therapeutic efficacy combined with the convenience of self-administration. From the medical staff's perspective, it also offers the advantage of more efficient use of medical resources as patients need to visit clinics less frequently.

Celltrion Healthcare emphasized that the 'Dual formulation' advantage?where patients who were prescribed competing infliximab switch to Remsima and then maintain treatment with RemsimaSC?has led to a simultaneous increase in the market shares of both products. For example, in Belgium, Remsima's market share surged by 31 percentage points from 45% in 2021, when RemsimaSC was launched, to 76% in the first quarter of this year. RemsimaSC's market share has also been steadily increasing in major European countries such as Germany (33%) and France (21%).

Remsima SC.
Photo by Celltrion Healthcare

Celltrion Healthcare expects the market share of the Remsima product line to expand through this campaign. The company plans to present Remsima's therapeutic efficacy and clinical results of RemsimaSC across Europe with key speakers, focusing on enhancing trust among local healthcare professionals. A Celltrion Healthcare representative stated, "We expect Remsima sales to continue steadily based on the synergy with RemsimaSC. Through this, we will solidify prescription preference and market dominance for Remsima, leading to sustained prescriptions globally for a long time."

Professor Laurent Peyrin-Biroulet of Nancy University Hospital in France said, "In the early days of biosimilars, research focused mainly on rheumatic diseases, but over time, various studies such as 'PlanetCD,' an extrapolation study of indications, and the 'Norwegian Switch Study,' which evaluated the effects of switching to Remsima, have increased physicians' trust. Ultimately, biosimilars have enabled cost savings in treatment, which can be regarded as an economic revolution for patients and healthcare systems."

Ha Tae-hoon, Head of Celltrion Healthcare's European headquarters, said, "We are very pleased that Remsima, which has become a gift-like treatment for autoimmune disease patients across Europe, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Through Remsima, which has proven excellent therapeutic efficacy and safety, Celltrion Healthcare has improved patient access to healthcare and opened a new horizon for the biosimilar industry. We will continue to do our best to introduce innovative treatments that prioritize patients' lives to the market."

Meanwhile, RemsimaSC (marketed as Gimpentra in the United States) is currently undergoing the new drug approval process in the U.S. The company aims to obtain marketing authorization approval by October and launch the product in the first half of next year.

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