Beggzelma Achieves 75.8 Billion KRW in Sales in the US Within One Year

One-Third of Vegzelma's Total Sales Came from Last Year
Achieved 6% Market Share in the U.S., Demonstrating Rapid Growth

Celltrion's metastatic colorectal and breast cancer treatment 'Vegzelma'. Photo by Celltrion

Celltrion's metastatic colorectal and breast cancer treatment 'Vegzelma' (active ingredient Bevacizumab) has emerged as a new key product by recording sales of over 75 billion KRW last year in the United States, the world's largest pharmaceutical market.

According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, Vegzelma recorded a market share of over 6% in the U.S. as of the end of last year, increasing its market influence. Vegzelma achieved total annual sales of 221.2 billion KRW in 2024, with about one-third of that, 75.8 billion KRW, coming from the U.S., raising expectations for future growth.

A notable point is that Vegzelma, despite being the fourth latecomer to launch among Bevacizumab biosimilars in the U.S. market, has recorded remarkable sales performance. This is the result of Celltrion's U.S. subsidiary increasing Vegzelma prescriptions mainly in the public insurance market based on confidence in direct sales competitiveness.

In the U.S., the elderly population aged 65 and over is classified under Medicare, a public health insurance program supported by the government. Pure Medicare, excluding private insurance combination programs, accounts for about 11% of the U.S. insurance market.

Since this market is operated with government support, treatment reimbursement is possible regardless of whether the drug is listed in insurance formularies, allowing pharmaceutical companies to achieve results based solely on their own capabilities. Celltrion's U.S. subsidiary has closely analyzed the characteristics of the Medicare market and continuously strengthened marketing activities, resulting in prescription achievements surpassing competitors and driving Vegzelma's sales growth.

Vegzelma's prescription performance continues not only in the U.S. but also in Europe. Although it entered the market 2 to 3 years later than competing products, it recently became the market leader. In the third quarter of 2024, Vegzelma held a 29% market share in Europe, ranking first in Bevacizumab prescriptions by surpassing original and competing biosimilar products. In that quarter alone, its share increased by 9 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, significantly widening the gap with competitors. This is analyzed as the result of actively strengthening networks with key stakeholder groups in each country through local subsidiaries established in major European countries and implementing customized sales strategies tailored to individual market characteristics.

In Japan, one of Asia's largest pharmaceutical markets, Vegzelma overcame the handicap of being a latecomer and recorded the second-highest biosimilar prescription share of 23% as of the end of last year, just one year after launch. The sales strategy that maximized sales effects by having Celltrion Japan and local distribution partners sell the product respectively was effective, and actively targeting the DPC system (Diagnosis Procedure Combination), which is favorable for expanding anticancer biosimilar prescriptions, also positively contributed to prescription expansion.

Vegzelma's sales growth is expected to continue this year. Plans include expanding product launch regions in Europe, where steady growth has been maintained, and strengthening networks with insurers in the U.S. to continue expanding reimbursement coverage. Additionally, the strategy is to expand launches into new regions such as Latin America to build a more stable and solid sales base and strengthen its positioning as a cash cow.

A Celltrion official said, "Vegzelma is overcoming the disadvantages of being a latecomer and achieving remarkable results in a short period, showing growth. We will do our best company-wide to ensure that all 11 commercialized products, including follow-up products planned for global launch this year, achieve meaningful results in the market."

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