This undated file photo shows the sign of South Korea’s pharmaceutical giant Celltrion Inc. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Celltrion Inc., a major South Korean biopharmaceutical firm, said Monday its new biosimilar for an autoimmune disease treatment has obtained approval from the European Commission (EC).
The EC approved Celltrion’s Avtozma, a biosimilar to Actemra, in both intravenous and subcutaneous formulations, for sales in the member countries of the European Union, the company said in a press release.
Avtozma can be used as a treatment for multiple autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and giant cell arteritis.
“The EC approval on Avtozma marks a critical step in Celltrion’s mission to provide European healthcare systems with affordable, effective solutions for immunological disorders,” Ha Tae-hun, senior vice president in charge of Celltrion’s European operations, said in the release.
Avtozma was also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for local sales last month.
The Korean drugmaker aims to commercialize 22 biosimilar products by 2030, up from the current 11.
(Yonhap)
