Ramsima SC Accelerates European Expansion, Achieves 67% Combined Market Share in Germany

Celltrion's autoimmune disease treatment, RemsimaSC, continues its rapid growth, recording a 39% market share last year in Germany, a key region in Europe.

Remsima SC Model
Photo by Lee Chunhee

According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, RemsimaSC achieved a 39% market share in Germany as of the fourth quarter last year. Compared to just 3% in its launch year of 2020, the local subsidiary's active direct sales efforts have driven an average annual growth of about 10 percentage points, increasing the market share more than tenfold in four years.

The growth of RemsimaSC, the world's only infliximab subcutaneous (SC) formulation drug, is said to have contributed to the expanded prescriptions of Remsima, the intravenous (IV) formulation. Last year, the annual prescription volume of Remsima increased by about 30,000 units compared to 2020. The dual formulation effect led to increased Remsima prescriptions for new infliximab patients, and the proportion of patients switching from competitor products to Remsima and then to RemsimaSC also rose, resulting in expanded sales for both products. RemsimaSC can be administered after a certain period of receiving infliximab intravenous injections. In this process, Remsima, which is the same product but in a different formulation, is preferred over products from other companies. The combined market share of Remsima and RemsimaSC in Germany reached 67% in the fourth quarter last year.

In Germany, since most subcutaneous autoimmune disease treatments are supplied through sales channels, Celltrion's German subsidiary has consistently communicated with individual hospitals, including general hospitals and small clinics, building a favorable network since the product launch. This has led to stable supply chain formation and expanded prescriptions. Additionally, after switching to direct sales, the German subsidiary directly handles marketing, sales activities, and product supply, which has positively influenced the increased corporate trust and preference for Celltrion locally.

Not only autoimmune disease treatments but also anticancer drugs are expanding their achievements in Germany. Celltrion recently secured a stable distribution channel by signing an exclusive contract to supply Vegzelma solely with a distributor holding about 15% market share in the German bevacizumab market. Despite being a late entrant compared to competing products, Vegzelma achieved a 24% market share in the fourth quarter last year, ranking second in prescriptions among eight bevacizumab products currently available, including the original. Herzuma, a breast and gastric cancer treatment, also surpassed the original with a 38% market share in the fourth quarter last year, securing the top prescription spot in its ingredient market.

Yoo Min-hyuk, head of Celltrion's German subsidiary, said, "The evaluation of RemsimaSC in Germany has become incomparable to that at its launch in 2020. Based on the therapeutic efficacy of infliximab and the convenience of self-administration, it has firmly established itself as a top-tier autoimmune disease treatment trusted and chosen by both doctors and patients." He added, "The product competitiveness of Celltrion-developed treatments and the direct sales capabilities built over years by the local subsidiary are showing mutual synergy, sustaining prescription performance. We will continue to drive sales growth and profitability improvements by leveraging upcoming pipeline launches in Germany."

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