April 20, 2024
Bio
Celltrion's Truxima to hit Middle East
[THE INVESTOR] Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion’s biosilimar drug Truxima will hit the Middle East and North African markets, the company’s affiliate said on Dec. 21.
Jordan-based drug firm Hikma Pharmaceuticals won exclusive rights to distribute and market the copy of Roche’s blockbuster medicine, also known as MabThera, in 18 countries, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Celltrion Healthcare said.
Celltrion Healthcare is the marketing and distribution subsidiary of Celltrion.
“Currently, Truxima is in the process of receiving marketing approval. We expect the launch to be sometime next year,” said a Celltrion Healthcare official.
Truxima -- the first biosimilar cancer drug to hit the European market earlier this year -- is used to treat patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and rheumatoid arthritis.
Starting with the UK in May this year, the product is being sold in 9 European Union countries and is expected to expand to 28 nations in the near future.
Robust sales of biosimilars in overseas markets boosted Celltrion’s operating profit to 140 billion (US$129 million) in the third quarter, up 89.3 percent from a year earlier.
By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)
Jordan-based drug firm Hikma Pharmaceuticals won exclusive rights to distribute and market the copy of Roche’s blockbuster medicine, also known as MabThera, in 18 countries, including Jordan and Saudi Arabia, Celltrion Healthcare said.
Celltrion Healthcare is the marketing and distribution subsidiary of Celltrion.
“Currently, Truxima is in the process of receiving marketing approval. We expect the launch to be sometime next year,” said a Celltrion Healthcare official.
Truxima -- the first biosimilar cancer drug to hit the European market earlier this year -- is used to treat patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia and rheumatoid arthritis.
Starting with the UK in May this year, the product is being sold in 9 European Union countries and is expected to expand to 28 nations in the near future.
Robust sales of biosimilars in overseas markets boosted Celltrion’s operating profit to 140 billion (US$129 million) in the third quarter, up 89.3 percent from a year earlier.
By Alex Lee and newswires (alexlee@heraldcorp.com)
