Published : Feb. 4, 2021 - 09:33
This file photo provided by Samsung Bioepis Co. on July 23, 2020, shows three of the company's biosimilars (from L to R) -- Benepali, Imraldi and Flixabi. (Samsung Bioepis Co.)
South Korean drugmaker Samsung Bioepis Co. said Thursday sales of its three biosimilar products in Europe climbed nearly 8 percent in 2020 from a year earlier.
Combined sales of the three autoimmune biosimilars -- Benepali, Flixabi and Imraldi -- stood at $795.8 million last year, up 7.8 percent from a year earlier, the company said.
The company cited an earnings report of its US partner Biogen. Samsung Bioepis is a joint venture between Samsung Biologics -- a biopharmaceutical unit of South Korea's top conglomerate Samsung Group -- and US partner Biogen.
Sales of Benepali, a biosimilar based on Enbrel developed by US-based Amgen Inc., came to $483.8 million, down 0.9 percent on-year. The drug is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and claims a 40 percent market share in Europe.
Shipments of Flixabi, used to relieve rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, spiked 43.8 percent on-year to $97.9 million. The drug was originally developed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
Sales of Imraldi, a copy of Humira by AbbVie Inc., reached $216.3 million, up 17.6 percent from a year earlier. The drug is used to combat various autoimmune diseases.
A Samsung Bioepis official said the company will redouble efforts to cement its leading status in the European market for autoimmune biosimilars. (Yonhap)