Celltrion announced on Monday that it launched two cancer treatments in Vietnam on June 9: Truxima (rituximab) for blood cancer and Vegzelma (bevacizumab) for metastatic colorectal and breast cancer.
These two products successfully entered the market just three months after receiving sales approval in March, marking a swift market entry.
With this launch, Celltrion has expanded its product portfolio in Vietnam to four drugs. This follows last year’s introduction of Remsima (infliximab) for autoimmune diseases and Herzuma (trastuzumab) for breast and stomach cancer.
Celltrion’s Vietnamese subsidiary plans to leverage its established hospital network and bidding experience from Herzuma sales to secure supply chains for the newly launched products.
The subsidiary has already demonstrated its direct sales prowess by winning 25 out of 48 major hospital bids for trastuzumab since Herzuma’s launch.
Vietnam, with its population of about 100 million, is a key pharmaceutical market in Southeast Asia. The country’s drug market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by government health insurance expansion and increased medication demand due to an aging population.
Celltrion’s sales success extends beyond Vietnam to other major Asian markets. According to IQVIA, a healthcare data firm, Celltrion’s flagship product Remsima dominates with a 96% market share in Singapore and leads in Thailand (77%) and Malaysia (59%).
Building on Remsima’s success, Celltrion has introduced Remsima SC, the world’s only subcutaneous infliximab treatment. In Hong Kong, Remsima SC has captured a 29% market share and is showing strong growth. The combined market share of the Remsima product line in Hong Kong reaches an impressive 82%.
Celltrion is also gaining ground in the oncology sector. Herzuma leads the market in Thailand with an 82% share and holds the top position in Hong Kong and Malaysia with 64% and 53% shares, respectively. Truxima is the most prescribed treatment in its class in Singapore (81%) and Thailand (74%).
A Celltrion spokesperson stated that the launch of new oncology products allows us to implement a more aggressive sales strategy in Vietnam. It plans to maximize the performance growth by gradually expanding the launch of high-revenue follow-up products in established pharmaceutical markets starting this year.