Celltrion secures major anti-cancer treatment deals in Europe

Vegzelma [Courtesy of Celltrion]

South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion Inc. has secured contracts to supply three types of anti-cancer drugs in Europe including France and Italy.

According to the company on Thursday, Herzuma (trastuzumab-pkrb), a biosimilar for breast and gastric cancer, and Vegzelma (bevacizumab-adcd), a biosimilar for non-small cell lung and metastatic colorectal cancers, won deals from two associations of public medical centers GRAPS and GAULoYS.

Vegzelma also won deals from three French organizations GRECAPS, Groupement Niort, and Groupement PharmSERA.

The biosimilars will be supplied to the five associations over the next two to four years, depending on the respective contracts.

The associations represent about 10 percent of the French anticancer market, according to Celltrion.

Celltrion’s Herzuma and Vegzelma, along with the hematologic cancer treatment Truxima (rituximab-abbs), also won in the tender for the provinces of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Sicily, Italy.

The biosimilars will be supplied over the next two years in Sicily and four and a half years in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Celltrion also secured deals for Herzuma and Vegzelma in Belgium. The drugs will be supplied to the regional medical center association, Hospilim, over four years

Truxima and Herzuma will be provided to the Dutch association of the top seven hospitals, Santeon, for two years starting this month.

“With Vegzelma launched in 2022, our portfolio of anti-cancer drugs in Europe has been further expanded, leading to orders across Europe,” said Kim Dong-sik, General Manager at Celltrion Healthcare France SAS. “We plan to intensify marketing efforts to ensure the expansion of Celltrion biosimilars in Europe.”