[Kim Saemi, Edaily Reporter] Celltrion’s autoimmune disease treatment Remsima surpassed KRW 1 trillion in annual sales for the second consecutive year, reinforcing its position as South Korea’s first global blockbuster drug. The company is stepping up global sales and marketing efforts to elevate Remsima SC as the country’s second global blockbuster.

Celltrion announced on Feb. 10 that Remsima generated approximately KRW 1.0495 trillion in global revenue last year, exceeding the KRW 1 trillion mark for a second straight year following 2024. The company attributed the performance to stable prescription trends worldwide and continued expansion of the European infliximab market.

According to IQVIA, the European infliximab market recorded an average annual growth rate of around 9% between 2019 and 2024. Celltrion said this market expansion has played a key role in driving Remsima’s sales growth.

The company pointed to post-COVID-19 shifts in treatment patterns as a major factor behind the trend. Demand has increasingly moved away from hospital-based administration toward subcutaneous (SC) formulations that allow for convenient self-injection regardless of location. As a result, prescriptions for Remsima SC have expanded. Celltrion explained that its dual formulation strategy—transitioning patients from competing infliximab products to Remsima and subsequently to Remsima SC—has gained traction, supporting sales growth across the Remsima franchise.

Remsima continues to demonstrate strong prescription momentum across Europe. As of the third quarter of last year, it held market shares of 62% in the U.K., 49% in Spain, and 48% in Germany among the EU’s five major markets. It also led the market in Ireland with a 75% share and Austria with 64%.

Remsima is set to secure an additional growth driver this year with the introduction of a new liquid formulation. Compared with the existing lyophilized version, the liquid formulation reduces preparation time by more than 50% and lowers labor and consumable costs to around 20%. It also eliminates the need for frozen storage, enabling savings of up to 70% in storage space and logistics costs. Celltrion plans to roll out the liquid formulation sequentially across Europe, starting with the Nordic region later this month.

While Remsima continues to hold its status as South Korea’s first global blockbuster, Celltrion expects Remsima SC to claim the second such title. Remsima SC recorded approximately KRW 839.4 billion in global sales last year, up about 40% from KRW 600.7 billion a year earlier. Based on this growth trajectory, the company expects Remsima SC to surpass KRW 1 trillion in annual sales this year.

Remsima SC has maintained strong growth since launch. As of the third quarter of last year, it surpassed a 30% market share in the EU5 for the first time. In the United States, Zymfentra—the U.S. brand name for Remsima SC—has also shown robust uptake, posting an average monthly prescription growth rate of 31% since its launch in March 2024 and continuing to set new weekly prescription records.

A Celltrion official said the company will continue to intensify global marketing and sales efforts to support the rapid growth of Remsima SC and establish it as South Korea’s second global blockbuster drug.