[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] Celltrion’s autoimmune disease treatment Remsima (infliximab) has surpassed KRW 1 trillion in annual global sales for the second consecutive year, firmly maintaining its status as South Korea’s first global blockbuster pharmaceutical product. The achievement is attributed to Remsima’s dominant market share across major overseas markets, including the United States and Europe, as well as continued formulation diversification. This year, Celltrion aims for another quantum leap by launching the first-ever liquid formulation among infliximab products.

Celltrion announced on March 10 that Remsima’s global sales reached KRW 1.0495 trillion in 2025, marking the second straight year of trillion-won sales following 2024. The company attributed the milestone to sustained prescription growth worldwide and the expansion of the European infliximab market.

Europe, in particular, has played a key role in Remsima’s growth. The European infliximab market recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9% between 2019 and 2024. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, demand increased for subcutaneous (SC) formulations that enable convenient self-administration regardless of treatment setting, driving a sharp rise in prescriptions for Remsima SC. In addition, accelerated switching from competing infliximab products to Remsima, followed by a transition to Remsima SC—a so-called dual formulation strategy—has expanded prescriptions for both intravenous (IV) and SC formulations.

Remsima continues to demonstrate overwhelming prescription performance across Europe. As of the third quarter of last year, Remsima held market shares of 62% in the UK, 49% in Spain, and 48% in Germany among the EU5 countries. It also achieved notable penetration in other European markets, including 75% in Ireland and 64% in Austria, firmly leading the regional infliximab market.

Celltrion plans to further accelerate growth in 2025 with the launch of a new liquid formulation of Remsima. Compared with the existing lyophilized formulation, the liquid version can reduce preparation time by more than 50% and cut labor and consumable costs by up to 20%. It also eliminates the need for cold-chain storage equipment required to maintain frozen conditions, reducing storage space requirements and associated costs. Given these administrative and cost-saving advantages, hospitals are showing strong interest in the new formulation, according to Celltrion. The liquid formulation will be launched sequentially across Europe starting in Northern Europe later this month. Through formulation diversification, Celltrion expects to further enhance product competitiveness and brand recognition.

While Remsima continues to hold its position as Korea’s first global blockbuster drug, Remsima SC is expected to become the company’s second blockbuster product. Global sales of Remsima SC reached approximately KRW 839.4 billion last year, representing nearly 40% growth from KRW 600.7 billion in the previous year. On the back of this momentum, Remsima SC is projected to surpass KRW 1 trillion in annual sales in 2025. As a first-mover product approved as a new drug in the United States, Remsima SC continues to show rapid growth, achieving more than 30% market share in the EU5 for the first time in the third quarter of last year and maintaining monthly prescription growth rates of over 30% in the U.S., consistently setting new weekly prescription records.

 

 

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