Celltrion Healthcare said it won bids to supply its Avastin biosimilar Vegzelma (ingredient: bevacizumab) to Italy and Belgium to treat metastatic colorectal and breast cancer.

Most recently, the company won bids in three provinces in Italy -- Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, and Toscana -- in the first quarter.

According to Celltrion Healthcare, the three provinces represent approximately 40 percent of the public market for bevacizumab in Italy. The company will supply Vegzelma to each province for two to three years.

In addition, the company has won two bevacizumab tender bids held by the Brugge Regional Hospital Group and the Onze Lieve Vrouw (O.L.V) General Hospital in Belgium. The company will supply its biosimilar to the two groups for two years.

Celltrion Healthcare attributed the win to its customized strategy addressing individual needs for tender markets. 

"Despite being a latecomer among bevacizumab biosimilars, Vegzelma has achieved significant results in key European countries since its launch, thanks to a flexible pricing strategy implemented by the local entity based on high production yield," the company said. "Also, the continued performance of biosimilars in oncology, such as Truxima and Herzuma, which have maintained their share leadership in Europe, is also positively impacting prescription expansion for Vegzelma."

The company expects to continue expanding the market share of Vegzelma in Europe this year and seeks to win bevacizumab tenders in key countries such as France and the Netherlands.

"Since expanding direct sales to all products in Europe last year, we have been achieving significant results in the bidding market based on the local subsidiary's flexible pricing policy and synergies with the performance of our existing anti-cancer products," Celltrion Healthcare Italy General Manager Yoo Won-sik said. "With the successful launch of Vegzelma in the U.S., the world's largest pharmaceutical market, last month, we will continue expanding the biosimilar's prescription performance worldwide, including Italy."