Celltrion Healthcare has successfully secured a bid for cancer drug procurement held by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and will supply Truxima (ingredient: rituximab) and Vegzelma (ingredient: bevacizumab).

Truxima is a biosimilar referencing Biogen's Rituxan for treating blood cancers such as non-hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and Vegzelma is a biosimilar referencing Genentech's Avastin for treating metastatic colorectal cancer and breast cancer.

The UNDP is a subsidiary of the United Nations (UN), focused on promoting economic and social development in developing countries through special fund creation, technical aid, and medical support. 

Celltrion Healthcare was informed of the cancer drug bidding by UNDP in May, and recently succeeded in securing the contract. 

The company plans to supply Truxima and Vegzelma to Turkmenistan by the end of this year.

Celltrion Healthcare explained that the UNDP bid would help the company contribute to the improvement of medical welfare for patients in developing countries.

Both drugs have shown stable prescription rates worldwide.

According to drug market research companies, such as IQVIA and Symphony Health, Truxima has a market share of 33 percent in the U.K., 32 percent in Belgium, 22 percent in Europe in the second quarter of this year, and 30 percent in the U.S. in the third quarter, in the rituximab market. 

Vegzelma has been continuously expanding its prescriptions since its launch in Europe last October, with market shares of 45 percent in Finland and 21 percent in Germany, in the bevacizumab market. 

"Through this UNDP contract, we find it deeply meaningful to provide Celltrion Group medicines to patients who are suffering from diseases and facing challenges in securing treatments," a Celltrion Healthcare official said. The company plans to further expand its participation in supplying through international organizations in the future, he added.