South Korea’s Celltrion Healthcare, the exclusive distributor for Celltrion`s biosimilar treatments, announced on Tuesday it has sealed a multi-party contract to distribute Herzuma, a biosimilar of Roche`s breast cancer drug Herceptin (trastuzumab), across Europe.

Under the contract, Herzuma will be marketed by Celltrion’s European partners Mundipharma, Kern Pharma and Orion across the continent including five focus markets: UK Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

Herzuma is Celltrion’s third biosimilar marque to be launched in Europe after Remsima and Truxima. Remsima treats autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, and Truxima lymphatic cancer. Herceptin is a blockbuster drug whose worldwide sales reached about 8.15 trillion won ($7.61 billion) in 2017, with 2.45 trillion won from Europe.

Celltrion Healthcare shares closed Tuesday up 5.02 percent at 113,000 won.

Celltrion Healthcare and local partners aim to complete drug registration soon and ready to join bids in major markets from the second quarter of this year.

Herzuma will be launched in the five key markets that represent about 70 percent of Europe within the second quarter.

Celltrion Healthcare is conducting a Rapid Infusion study to reduce Herzuma’s administration time from 90 minutes to half an hour.

Once developed, the biosimilar will bring more convenience to patients and generally improve adherence, the company said.

By Shin Chan-ok and Minu Kim

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