Celltrion announced on the 16th that it is accelerating its entry into the global ophthalmic disease market, spearheaded by its ophthalmic disorder treatment “Idencelto” (ingredient name: aflibercept). Earlier this month, the company began in earnest to expand its market presence by launching Idencelto in major European countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom.

In the case of Celltrion’s UK subsidiary, the product launch coincided with successful bids in National Health Service (NHS) tenders held across three administrative regions. This enabled the company to secure a product supply base at an early stage. Notably, Northern England, which represents the largest market among UK tendering bodies, was included in this award. In this region, Idencelto was officially listed as the only biosimilar product.

A Celltrion representative stated, “Through this tender win, the company has established a foothold for early penetration of the UK ophthalmic disease market and for expanding its market share across Europe going forward.”

In addition, the company has completed the product launch in Portugal, one of the representative tender markets in Europe. Celltrion plans to pursue a country-specific strategy focused on national tenders, which account for around 60% of the total market.

Celltrion intends to leverage the brand trust it has built in Europe and its strength in direct sales to rapidly improve performance in the ophthalmic disease market. In particular, it plans to fully utilize the human networks established through direct sales of its core biosimilar products, such as autoimmune disease treatments and anticancer drugs, and to conduct differentiated marketing activities so that trust in the Celltrion brand and product preference translate into increased sales of Idencelto. The company also plans to progressively expand the number of European countries where the product is sold while simultaneously accelerating prescriptions. A Celltrion official said, “Through the launch of Idencelto, we expect to supply high-quality biopharmaceuticals at reasonable prices and help reduce the healthcare budget burden in European countries,” adding, “For patients, we see this as providing a new treatment option that will improve access to care.”

Idencelto is a biosimilar product referencing Eylea, which recorded global sales of approximately KRW 13,332.2 billion (USD 9.523 billion) last year. It has obtained marketing authorization from the European Commission (EC) in two formulations: vial and pre-filled syringe (PFS). It has been approved for the key indications held by the reference product, including neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration, macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion, diabetic macular edema (DME), and myopic choroidal neovascularization.

A Celltrion representative said, “Recognized across Europe as a leading player in biosimilars, Celltrion plans to leverage the marketing competitiveness and brand trust it has built over many years of direct product sales to support the successful market establishment of Idencelto,” adding, “By continuing to expand launch countries through next year, we will enable more patients to benefit from high-quality biopharmaceuticals at reasonable prices and rapidly strengthen our influence in the European ophthalmic disease market.”

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