Celltrion starts Herzuma sales in U.S., priced competitively

Celltrion Healthcare has started sales in the United States of a biosimilar formulated for the treatment of a number of cancers.

The company announced Tuesday that marketing of Herzuma, which targets stomach and breast cancers, has commenced in the United States. It is being sold in cooperation with Teva Pharmaceutical, its North American market commercial partner.

Biosimilars, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are biological products that are approved based on proof that they are highly similar to other approved products.

Herzuma, which references Roche’s Herceptin, is the fourth trastuzumab biosimilar introduced in the U.S. market, following Pfizer’s Trazimera, Mylan and Biocon’s Ogivri and Amgen and Allergan’s Kanjinti.

The competition is only expected to get more intense, as Samsung Bioepis is planning to bring Ontruzant to the market in the future.

Celltrion believes it can gain an edge by offering Herzuma at a price 10 percent cheaper than Herceptin.

The final price may be different for U.S. customers depending on their health care plans and additional rebates.

According Durham, North Carolina-based Iqvia, the biosimilar had 18 percent market share in Europe as of the third quarter last year and 20 percent market share in Japan as of January.

With the introduction of Herzuma, Celltrion Healthcare said it has commenced sales of all of its three primary biosimilar products - Truxima, Remsima and Herzuma - in the U.S. market and is now focused on increasing presence and market share through extensive rebate and marketing efforts.

Even though the coronavirus outbreak is disrupting Celltrion Group’s business plans and future strategies, Celltrion Healthcare said it expects a boost in sales and profitability this year on hopes Herzuma will be met with the positive market response that greeted Truxima.

BY KO JUN-TAE [ko.juntae@joongang.co.kr]