Will It Be a Gauge for 'Direct Sales in the US'?… Celt Healthcare Starts First Direct Sales of Begzelma

Celltrion Healthcare announced on the 17th that it is launching the biosimilar of 'Avastin,' a treatment for metastatic colorectal and breast cancer, called 'Vegzelma' (generic name Bevacizumab) in the United States, targeting the market.

Celltrion Group's anticancer biosimilar 'Vegzelma (generic name Bevacizumab)'
[Photo provided by Celltrion]

원본보기 아이콘

Since obtaining FDA approval for Vegzelma in September last year, Celltrion Healthcare has focused on strengthening its local subsidiary's competitiveness. In particular, as Vegzelma is the first drug that Celltrion Healthcare is directly selling (direct sales) in the U.S., the company concentrated on expanding local personnel to handle this. They recruited Thomas Nusbickel, formerly of global big pharma companies such as Amgen and Pfizer, as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of the U.S. subsidiary, and expanded the U.S. organization to over 50 employees, mainly marketing and sales professionals with more than 20 years of industry experience.

Along with strengthening commercial capabilities through the expansion of specialized personnel, Celltrion Healthcare plans to quickly capture the U.S. market by broadening communication with key stakeholders such as Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs), the U.S. federal public insurance program Medicaid, and private insurers, based on Vegzelma’s product strengths including high production yield and cost competitiveness.

Celltrion Healthcare has already completed the listing of Vegzelma on the Medicare drug reimbursement list, the federal government’s public insurance program for the elderly, and started the first shipment to major wholesalers this week. Building on the achievement of being listed on Medicare, which covers 20% of the total population, the company is actively negotiating with multiple private insurers and aims to expand contracts so that 60% of private insurers will list Vegzelma within this year.

Celltrion Healthcare explained that its existing products launched in the U.S. are also showing successful prescription results. According to U.S. pharmaceutical market research firm Symphony Health, as of March, the autoimmune disease treatment 'Remsima' (generic name Infliximab) holds the top position in biosimilar prescriptions with a 31.4% market share in the U.S. The anticancer drug 'Truxima' (generic name Rituximab) has steadily expanded prescriptions, surpassing a 30% market share within four years since its U.S. launch in 2019. Based on this brand recognition, Vegzelma is also expected to see stable prescription growth.

Kim Hyung-gi, CEO of Celltrion Healthcare, said, “Vegzelma holds great significance as the first product that our company is directly selling in the world’s largest pharmaceutical market, the U.S. We plan to actively pursue market access and marketing activities to successfully establish its position in the U.S. region. Starting with Vegzelma, we will sequentially launch products in the U.S., the world’s largest biopharmaceutical market, including the Humira biosimilar 'Yuflyma' (generic name Adalimumab) scheduled for release in the second half of this year, and Remsima SC, which is currently undergoing approval procedures as a new drug, to take another step forward as a global leading bio company,” he said.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.