Celltrion strengthens ASEAN presence with Vietnam entry, expanding autoimmune and oncology portfolio

Celltrion is accelerating its ASEAN expansion by entering Vietnam, one of the fastest-growing “pharmerging” pharmaceutical markets, with a focus on autoimmune disease therapies and oncology drugs.

Following the establishment of its Vietnamese subsidiary in 2024, Celltrion has secured sales approvals for two flagship biologics -- Remsima (ingredient: infliximab) for autoimmune diseases and Herzuma (trastuzumab) for breast and gastric cancers. The company launched Remsima in June and Herzuma in August this year.

The local subsidiary quickly made inroads into the market, signing a one-year supply contract with Vietnam’s largest military hospital for Remsima.

Herzuma also won a two-year supply contract in a tender process with hospitals in the central and southern regions of Vietnam.

Additional tenders for trastuzumab products are scheduled for later this year, where Celltrion plans to expand its contracts through aggressive bidding.

Vietnam’s pharmaceutical market, worth around 10 trillion won ($7.1 billion) in 2023, has grown at an annual average of more than 7 percent over the past decade. Within the public hospital sector, Celltrion’s five key biologics ingredients already represent an estimated 1.7 trillion won market, growing by about 10 percent annually.

To strengthen its foothold, Celltrion is pursuing a tailored commercial strategy that reflects Vietnam’s tender-driven distribution structure.

The company is building direct communication channels with hospitals and healthcare institutions across the country, highlighting product competitiveness, direct sales capabilities, and supply stability to secure an edge in bidding.

It is also stepping up engagement with medical professionals by sharing Korea’s advanced medical practices and technology, while maintaining close ties with regulators to facilitate approvals and tender participation.

Celltrion plans to expand its product portfolio in Vietnam further this year. In the second half, the company aims to obtain approval and launch Remsima SC, the world’s only subcutaneous infliximab formulation, as well as Truxima (rituximab) for hematologic cancers.

Local hiring will also be scaled up to reinforce sales and marketing activities.

Beyond Vietnam, Celltrion is also recording strong results in other ASEAN countries. According to IQVIA, in the first quarter of 2025, Remsima captured over 70 percent of the infliximab market in Malaysia and achieved a 93 percent market share with Remsima SC in Singapore.

On the oncology front, Herzuma commands a 93 percent share in Thailand, 52 percent in Malaysia, and 37 percent in Singapore, while Truxima has secured 70 percent in Singapore and 61 percent in Thailand.

“These achievements reflect Celltrion’s differentiated direct sales model, which has been tailored to the unique structures of each ASEAN market,” Celltrion’s Central Asia Department Head Chung Seung-sup said. “As Vietnam’s pharmaceutical market continues to grow rapidly, so too does the demand for high-quality biologics.”

Celltrion will continue to expand access for patients with proven products and strengthen industry cooperation between Korea and Vietnam, Chung added.