Celltrion’s blood cancer treatment Truxima has become the first Korean biosimilar to top its segment in the United States life sciences market and is now the most prescribed rituximab drug in the world’s largest pharmaceutical market, the company said Tuesday.
According to life sciences market analytics firm IQVIA, Truxima, which was developed by Celltrion as a rituximab biosimilar, accounted for a 35.8 percent prescription share in the US as of February this year. The milestone came about six years and three months after its US launch in November 2019.
The record-setting performance by Truxima was observed not only in the number of prescriptions but also in its earnings. According to Celltrion, sales from Truxima logged over 300 billion won ($198 million) in North America last year, up about 40 percent from 2024, solidifying it as a key product for the Korean biosimilar maker.
Celltrion said Truxima’s achievement shows that the company’s business opportunities will expand, especially after the US government excluded biosimilars from its tariffs, as most of the Korean company’s sales are generated by biosimilars.
“Truxima’s rise to claim the No. 1 prescription spot in the US, the world’s biggest pharmaceutical market, by outperforming the competition, including original drugs, is expected to further enhance its product awareness and preference,” said a Celltrion official.
“As both our existing and newly launched products continue to deliver strong performances across the globe, including the US, we project to achieve our annual earnings target for this year.”
hwkan@heraldcorp.com
