Celltrion’s subcutaneous (SC) formulation for autoimmune diseases, “Zymfentra,” which launched in the United States, has seen prescriptions rise sharply in the U.S. since the beginning of this year. The company said it believes Zymfentra has entered a full-fledged growth phase.
According to Celltrion on the 18th, Zymfentra (active ingredient: infliximab; European Union product name: Remsima SC) recorded prescription volume in January of this year that was about three times higher than the same period last year. February shipment volumes supplied to U.S. wholesale and retail distributors also increased by more than 3.5 times year over year.
Celltrion explained that, because biologic drugs have limited shelf lives, wholesalers and retailers place orders based on prescription trends; as a result, higher shipment volumes indicate that patient prescriptions are increasing. The company attributed the results to the effectiveness of its “3P (provider·payer·patient) target strategy,” which includes tailored marketing activities for healthcare professionals led by Celltrion’s U.S. subsidiary, securing reimbursement coverage, and online and offline advertising.
In fact, since launching Zymfentra in the U.S. in March 2024, Celltrion has conducted proactive outreach for about a year to autoimmune disease specialists nationwide. The company also added Zymfentra to formularies of multiple mid-to-large pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and insurers. Through these efforts, it secured reimbursement coverage for Zymfentra across more than 90% of the overall insurance market.
In addition, Celltrion has stepped up online and offline advertising aimed at patients to further accelerate the expansion of Zymfentra prescriptions. The company said this has increased awareness of Zymfentra and physicians’ prescribing preference in the U.S., translating into actual prescription growth.
A Celltrion official said, “While Zymfentra prescription volume surged by more than threefold year over year in January, February shipment volumes confirmed that this growth is grounded in a real increase in demand from hospitals,” adding, “As our ‘3P strategy’ targeting healthcare professionals, insurers, and patients is delivering tangible results, we will devote our full efforts to even more proactive sales and marketing activities so that expanded Zymfentra prescribing and performance growth can continue.”
