Celltrion Healthcare, a company conducts worldwide marketing, sales, and distribution of biological medicines, has launched Remsima (infliximab) in 12 European markets: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
Remsima, developed by Celltrion, Inc., is the world’s first biosimilar monoclonal antibody (mAb) to be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). It is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD), adult and paediatric ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis. Remsima is an anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) mAb that is used for reducing inflammation and improving other symptoms of the diseases for which it is indicated.
Dr Antonio López-SanRomán, a specialist in Gastroenterology at the University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Spain says: “It is encouraging to know that patients across the whole of Europe with diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis now have an additional treatment option in Remsima. It has already been used successfully around the world, and the availability of biosimilars such as Remsima could lead to cost savings to the healthcare system.”
While biologics have positively impacted patient treatment, the high cost of using such drugs places a considerable burden on healthcare systems and can affect patient access to treatment. Biosimilars have the potential to offer cost savings for health services, particularly as they are often used to treat long-term conditions. The use of biosimilars may help to increase patient access to treatment and allow patients to be treated earlier in their disease pathway.
Celltrion Healthcare has announced data demonstrating the healthcare savings achievable by using Remsima to treat patients with CD in France, Italy and the UK. The budget impact analysis, presented at the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation’s (ECCO) 10th annual congress in Barcelona, Spain, shows that total five-year savings across the three countries ranged from €76 million to €336 million.5 Biosimilars are projected to save health systems in Europe €11.8 billion to €33.4 billion between 2007 and 2020, with the biggest savings predicted in France, Germany and the UK. Biosimilar mAbs are expected to deliver the greatest savings, ranging from €1.8 to €20.4 billion.
Dr Stanley Hong, president of Celltrion Healthcare, says: “Autoimmune diseases can have a devastating impact on people’s lives so we are proud that Remsima is available for patients across the European Union, offering them a more accessible treatment option to manage their disease.”
Clinical trials have demonstrated comparability of Remsima in quality, safety and efficacy to its reference medicinal product Remicade. Remsima received marketing authorisation from the EMA on 10 September 2013 and is currently under review by the United States Food and Drug Administration.