Celltrion announced on February 5 that its bevacizumab biosimilar, Vegzelma, has achieved the No.1 market share in Europe. According to IQVIA, as of Q3 2023, Vegzelma held a 29% market share in the European market, surpassing both the originator product Avastin (bevacizumab) and other competing biosimilars.

Since its European launch in October 2022, Vegzelma has rapidly gained traction, increasing its market share by 9 percentage points in Q3 2023 compared to the previous quarter. Within just two years, it has become the most prescribed bevacizumab biosimilar in Europe.

Celltrion attributes this growth to a key procurement contract it secured in June 2023 with UniHA, France’s largest pharmaceutical procurement organization for major university hospitals. Under this contract, Vegzelma will be supplied across France for two years until 2027.

Beyond oncology, Celltrion has seen continued growth in its autoimmune biosimilar portfolio. In Europe’s top five markets (Germany, Spain, the UK, Italy, and France), Remsima SC (subcutaneous infliximab) increased its market share by 1 percentage point to 25%, while Yuflyma (adalimumab) rose by 3 percentage points to 17% in the last quarter.

With its well-established presence and expertise in the European market, Celltrion is now focused on expanding its success with newly launched products. Last month, the company completed the rollout of Steqeyma (ustekinumab) across Europe’s five major markets and is continuing a phased launch strategy to strengthen its foothold.

A Celltrion representative stated, “Our existing biosimilars have already solidified their influence in Europe, delivering stable performance. With the expansion of our newer products, our market dominance continues to gain momentum. We will leverage this success to maximize the performance of all 11 of our commercialized biosimilars in the European market, including Steqeyma and upcoming launches.”

At the end of 2023, Celltrion received positive recommendations from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for four new biosimilars: Avtozma (tocilizumab), Eydenzelt (aflibercept), Stoboclo (denosumab), and Osenvelt (denosumab). The company is currently awaiting final approval.