Ulcerative colitis drug Zymfentra to generate fifth of Celltrion's 2025 revenue
Published: 15 Jan. 2025, 16:37
Updated: 17 Jan. 2025, 10:18
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- LEE JAE-LIM
- [email protected]
![Celltrion co-CEO Seo Jin-seok speaks during his presentation of the company's roadmap for new drugs at the 43rd J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Jan. 14. [CELLTRION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/17/7057dc41-5ea3-46b4-89f6-94ee2571429d.jpg)
Celltrion co-CEO Seo Jin-seok speaks during his presentation of the company's roadmap for new drugs at the 43rd J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco on Jan. 14. [CELLTRION]
SAN FRANCISCO — Celltrion, a Korean biotech company known for its biosimilars, plans to generate 20 percent of its annual revenue this year from its original drug Zymfentra as part of its broader strategy to expand into the original drug market.
Celltrion founder and Chairman Seo Jung-jin set a goal to reach 5 trillion won ($3.4 billion) in revenue for 2025, with an ambition to derive 1 trillion won from the U.S. market through autoimmune disease treatment Zymfentra, during a Q. and A. session after Celltrion’s presentation at the 43rd J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday.
“Building on our accumulated experience and expertise in antibody-drug development, we will accelerate the development of next-generation innovative drugs,” the chairman said. “Antibody-drug conjugates [ADC] and multispecific therapeutics will be key drivers of Celltrion’s future growth.”
Thirteen new drugs — nine ADCs and four multispecific antibodies — will be released through 2029.
Celltrion co-CEO Seo Jin-seok, eldest son of the drugmaker's founder, presented updates and timeframes for the ADCs and multi-specific antibodies.
The two ADC-based cancer therapies, CT-P70 for non-small cell lung cancer and CT-P71 for bladder cancer, will be introduced as "biobetter ADCs." These treatments incorporate the new payload PBX-7016, which has shown low toxicity and strong tumor growth inhibition efficacy during development. Leveraging this platform, Celltrion aims to develop drugs with superior efficacy to other treatments with similar mechanisms and to extend its application to other pipelines in the future.
The company is also developing bispecific ADCs, which can target dual targets, and dual-payload ADCs designed to maximize therapeutic efficacy through payload combinations.
The company plans to submit investigational new drug (IND) applications for 13 drug candidates by 2028, including nine ADCs and 4 multispecific antibodies.
![Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin, right, speaks during the 43rd J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Jan. 14 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, with his son and Celltrion co-CEO Seo Jin-seok, left, on stage.[CELLTRION]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/17/02b97e37-e584-48fd-856e-da21d5fddbb2.jpg)
Celltrion Chairman Seo Jung-jin, right, speaks during the 43rd J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Jan. 14 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, with his son and Celltrion co-CEO Seo Jin-seok, left, on stage.[CELLTRION]
“This year, four new drug candidates will sequentially enter clinical trials, with new drug projects continuing every year,” Seo Jin-seok said.
IND submissions for the ADC candidates CT-P70, CT-P71, CT-P73 and the multispecific antibody candidate CT-P72 will be completed within 2025. In 2026, IND submissions for two ADCs and two multispecific antibodies are planned, followed by three ADCs in 2027 and one ADC and one multispecific antibody in 2028.
The establishment of Celltrion’s first contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) plant is also underway. The drugmaker formed its wholly owned CDMO subsidiary, Celltrion BioSolutions, last month, with an ambition to generate 3 trillion won in revenue by 2031.
“We are considering sites in Incheon, North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong for a 100,000-liter (26,417-gallon) facility to be built,” Seo Jung-jin said at a separate conference with Korean press on the same day. “We aim to finalize the location in the first half of this year and begin construction in the second half.”
The chairman also has not given up the ambition for Celltrion Holdings’ Nasdaq listing, which he aims to complete by 2027.
Stating that domestic stocks are currently undervalued, Seo Jung-jin forecast that Korea’s market would recover in the coming third or fourth quarter.
“Korea is not fundamentally weak but has been severely undervalued. By the fourth quarter, the merger and acquisition [M&A] market should begin to take shape again," he said. "Celltrion Holdings will conduct large-scale M&A in a timely manner during the period, after which the Nasdaq listing is expected to take place in 2027.”
BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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