Celltrion “Achieved 74% market share for anticancer drug Herzuma in Japan”

Biosimilar products launched by Celltrion are showing success one after another in Japan. In particular, Herceptin biosimilar ‘Herzuma (ingredient name: trastuzumab)’ appears to have surpassed the original product and has taken the top spot in market share.

On the 26th, Celltrion announced that its breast cancer and stomach cancer treatment Herzuma has proven its competitiveness in Japan, a key Asian pharmaceutical market, with a market share of 74% as of last month. Herzuma has maintained its lead for three consecutive years since exceeding the market share of the original product for the first time in the second quarter of 2021.

According to the company, this achievement is due to Herzuma proving its product competitiveness by obtaining approval for 3-week therapy in August 2019, as well as the favorable institutional environment in Japan for biosimilars and a customized sales strategy for the local pharmaceutical market. The evaluation was valid. The 3-week treatment regimen involves administering medicines at 3-week intervals and accounts for 90% of the Japanese breast cancer market.

In Japan, cancer is considered a representative disease included in the Japanese comprehensive fee system (DPC), which is classified as a biosimilar-friendly policy. In the DPC system, medical expenses are determined by the Japanese government, and it is more advantageous for hospitals to prescribe cheaper drugs because they can earn profits equivalent to the reduced costs. In addition, the use of low-priced medicines can reduce government refunds and out-of-pocket expenses, so it is evaluated as a policy that is beneficial to hospitals, the government, and patients.

Based on this friendly policy, Celltrion Japan has focused on increasing prescription preferences and strengthening networks among key stakeholders (KOLs) with high influence on drug prescriptions. In addition, the sales strategy of selling products separately from local corporations and distribution partners also had a positive effect. The analysis is that by conducting individual marketing activities, the sales network was formed more tightly and sales effectiveness was maximized.

Based on this strategy, another anticancer drug, ‘Begzelma (ingredient name: bevacizumab)’, a treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer and breast cancer, also recorded a market share of 23% as of November this year, a three-fold increase compared to the same period last year. In the autoimmune treatment field, ‘Remsima (ingredient name: infliximab)’ maintains the No. 1 position in biosimilar prescriptions with a 39% market share thanks to a customized local sales strategy.

Celltrion announced its goal to successfully introduce follow-up products into the Japanese market based on the sales performance of existing products. Through this, the company plans to strengthen its competitiveness by expanding its product portfolio in Japan to new areas such as allergic diseases, eye diseases, and bone diseases, following autoimmune disease treatments and anticancer drugs.

A Celltrion official said, “Products released in Japan, including Herzuma, are smoothly entering the market and showing overwhelming performance,” and added, “We will continue to strengthen our sales capabilities so that subsequent products to be released in Japan in the future can also achieve meaningful results.” “We will do it,” he said.