[Edaily Reporter Hong Ju-yeon ] Celltrion(068270)’s blood cancer treatment “Truxima” (active ingredient: rituximab) has ranked first in market share for four consecutive months in the United States, the world’s largest pharmaceutical market. As a result, analysts are noting that the company is solidifying its leading position in the market.

According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, on the 21st, Truxima achieved the top spot in prescriptions in the U.S. in May with a 38.6% market share. Celltrion has maintained this top position for four consecutive months since achieving it in February.

Truxima’s growth momentum in the U.S. is expected to continue. In particular, Truxima gained additional momentum for growth earlier this month when it became the first rituximab biosimilar to receive “interchangeability” status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), allowing it to be substituted for the originator drug. This is expected to further accelerate Truxima’s penetration into the 20% market share currently held by the originator product.

In addition to Truxima, Celltrion’s other major product lines are also performing well and maintaining their growth momentum in the U.S. “Inflectra” (active ingredient: infliximab; U.S. product name for Remsima), Celltrion’s flagship treatment for autoimmune diseases, maintained its position as a top prescriber in the U.S. during the same period, recording a 30.4% market share. Additionally, “Stecima” (active ingredient: ustekinumab), “Vexzelma” (active ingredient: bevacizumab), and “Uplima” (active ingredient: adalimumab) are also showing stable growth, with market shares of 13.3%, 10.6%, and 8.1%, respectively.

The success built through sales of existing products is expected to carry over to a pipeline of high-margin follow-on products set for launch. Celltrion’s U.S. subsidiary plans to launch the subcutaneous (SC) formulation of “Aptosma” (active ingredient: tocilizumab) and “Omriclo” (active ingredient: omalizumab) in the second half of this year. The company plans to actively leverage the close network it has built with major pharmacy benefit management (PBM) companies—established through the sale of its autoimmune disease product portfolio—to rapidly drive the market adoption of these new product lines.

Celltrion’s preliminary second-quarter results are expected to show revenue of 1.3 trillion won and operating profit of 430 billion won, marking the company’s best-ever second-quarter performance. With both new and existing product lines—led by Truxima—achieving remarkable results in the U.S. market, expectations for growth in the second half of the year are also rising. In fact, considering the initial shipments of products set for launch in the U.S. this year and the increased demand from healthcare institutions to secure inventory by year-end, Celltrion’s earnings growth is expected to accelerate further as the second half of the year progresses.

A Celltrion spokesperson stated, “Building on the sales success of our major product lines, including Truxima, we will do our utmost to ensure that the high-margin follow-on products scheduled for launch in the second half of the year can also secure an early foothold in the U.S. market.”