Samsung Bioepis' biosimilar sales in the EU totaled $795 million last year, up 7.8 percent from 2019. (Samsung Bioepis)
Samsung Bioepis' biosimilar sales in the EU totaled $795 million last year, up 7.8 percent from 2019. (Samsung Bioepis)

Samsung Bioepis' biosimilar sales in the European Union surpassed $795 million in 2020.

According to Biogen's earnings report, Samsung Bioepis' marketing partner in the EU, the sales of the Korean drugmaker’s three biosimilar products – Benepali, Flixabi, and Imraldi-totaled $795.8 million last year, up 7.8 percent from 2019.

The sales of Benepali (Ingredient: Etanercept), an Enbrel biosimilar treating rheumatoid arthritis, totaled $483.8 million, down 0.9 percent from 2019. The biosimilar still accounted for 40 percent of the EU market.

The sales of Flixabi, a Remicade biosimilar that relieves rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis, increased 43.8 percent to $97.9 million. Those of Imraldi's (Ingredient: adalimumab), a copy of AbbVie's Humira, amounted to $216.3 million, up 17.6 percent.

"As five types of Humira biosimilars -- Samsung Bioepis' Imraldi, Amgen's Amjevita, Sandoz's Hyrimoz, Mylan's Hulio, and Fresenius Kabi's Idacio – have entered the EU market, the original drug Humira is facing a decline in earnings," the company said. "Last year, Humira's sales outside the U.S. fell 13.6 percent from 2019."

However, Biogen's report differs from Samsung Bioepis sales because the former indicates these products’ market sales, a Samsung Bioepis official said. Samsung Bioepis and Biogen divide product sales by a certain percentage according to their marketing partnership.

"We will strive to strengthen our status in the European autoimmune disease treatment market by expanding product sales through our diverse product portfolios," the official told Korea Biomedical Review.

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