Celltrion is expanding its market presence in Peru, a key Latin American market, with successful public tender wins.

Celltrion’s Truxima 500mg (rituximab) won the tender for the Peruvian Ministry of Health (Centro Nacional de Abastecimiento de Recursos Estratégicos en Salud, CENARES), the largest public sector market in the South American country. In addition, Truxima 100 mg was awarded to the Workers' Insurance Service (EsSalud), giving Celltrion more than 50 percent of the rituximab market in Peru with these two wins.

Truxima treats CD20 positive diffuse large B cell non Hodgkin's lymphoma in combination with CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone) chemotherapy.

With these wins, Celltrion will supply 500 mg of Truxima to the Health Ministry in two tranches and 100 mg of Truxima to the Workers' Insurance Institute for one year starting this month.

The tender for the Workers' Insurance Organization also included the biosimilar Herzuma (trastuzumab), an anticancer drug used to treat breast and stomach cancer. The tender represents 53 percent of the trastuzumab market in Peru, and Herzuma will be supplied for one year starting this month.

Successful bids continue to come not only in oncology but also in autoimmune diseases. Celltrion said Yuflyma (adalimumab) won the first tender for adalimumab in Peru, demonstrating the product's competitiveness. The tender was organized by the Workers' Insurance Service and is said to represent about 20 percent of the Peruvian adalimumab market.

Celltrion said the company's positive performances in the Peruvian public sector market were attributed to its local offshoot’s market-customized strategy.

Celltrion Peru emphasized that the winning bid resulted from an optimized strategy based on a comprehensive analysis of factors, such as price, volume, and supply trends of products that have won local tenders over the years. In addition, as Peruvian regulators have recently tightened controls on drug quality and supply stability, Celltrion's rich global prescription data and lack of product supply issues have led to a steady increase in confidence in the company and its products, it added.

Celltrion expects to continue winning bids in Peru for the foreseeable future, as the company plans to launch Remsima SC, the world's only subcutaneous infliximab formulation, and Vegzelma (bevacizumab), a biosimilar of an oncology drug used to treat colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, in mid-2024 and late this year.

"Our thorough analysis of the local healthcare market and close networking with government agencies have enabled us to achieve good results," said Kang Kyung-doo, head of Celltrion's Latin America region. "As we look forward to events across Latin America this year that will increase our market impact, such as product launches and tender participation, we will strengthen our marketing activities to ensure that our success in Peru extends to neighboring countries."