Celltrion Healthcare said that it launched Remsima SC, an autoimmune biosimilar, in the Netherlands on April 27.

Celltrion headquarters in Incheon.

The launch followed similar market releases of the product in Germany and the U.K. in February and March of this year, respectively. Before the launch in the Dutch market, the company also had an online symposium, participated in by 200 medical professionals on April 21.

"The clinical results of Remsima SC showed similar results in efficacy and safety to the existing Infliximab IV formulation, proving that the product could serve as replacement therapy," Professor Tom Huizinga of the Rheumatology Department at Leiden University said. "As Remsima SC can serve as a dual formulation that can be used alongside Remsima IV, doctors can select treatment, according to patients’ conditions."

Medical professionals who participated in the launching event also responded favorably to the transition from Infliximab IV type to Remsima SC, expecting that the biosimilar would be a safe and effective treatment plan, the company said. CZ, one of the largest private insurance companies in the Netherlands, decided to reimburse its entire treatment cost, it added.

The insurance company said, "Remsima SC allows many patients to administer infliximab directly at home, which can be an effective treatment method for patients as it minimizes hospital visits, especially during the Covid-19 outbreak."

Although SC formulations are usually formed at a higher price than the IV formulation, we decided to fully reimburse the biosimilar with the expectation that it would be an excellent alternative to the conventional infliximab treatments, CZ added.

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