New push into Vietnam: Celltrion’s Vegzelma targets key cancer markets

Edited by ad hoc news Flagship & Bestseller Desk. Reviewed before publication on 06/15/2026 at 7:09 PM ET. Details in the imprint.

Celltrion’s bevacizumab biosimilar Vegzelma is entering Vietnam’s oncology market with a clear mandate: provide a lower-cost alternative for metastatic colorectal and other solid tumor indications while expanding the Korean company’s footprint across Southeast Asia. Commercial sales of Vegzelma have now started in Vietnam alongside Truxima, adding to a local portfolio that already includes Remsima and Herzuma and lifting Celltrion’s cancer drug lineup in the country to four products, according to recent coverage of the launch event in Ho Chi Minh City. World Pharma Today reports that the company has begun supplying both biosimilars to Vietnamese hospitals and treatment centers.

Flagship oncology biosimilar with global approvals

Vegzelma is Celltrion’s reference-bevacizumab biosimilar, developed around the same monoclonal antibody mechanism that blocks vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to inhibit angiogenesis, effectively starving tumors of the new blood vessels they need to grow. The therapy has secured regulatory approvals in major markets including the European Union, the United States and South Korea for indications broadly aligned with the original bevacizumab label, such as metastatic colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and certain breast and ovarian cancers, positioning it as one of Celltrion’s flagship oncology assets by geographic reach and indication breadth. Celltrion Healthcare’s official product page lists its key approved uses, dosing forms and reference studies supporting clinical equivalence to originator bevacizumab.

In Vietnam, Vegzelma is being marketed as a hospital-administered infusion medicine that taps into a fast-growing oncology market, where rising cancer incidence and increasing access to biologic therapies are driving double-digit annual growth in drug spending. Local media note that the Vietnamese pharmaceutical market surpassed $7 billion in recent years, with oncology one of the most dynamic segments, and that biosimilars are viewed by policymakers as a way to broaden access under public health budgets while maintaining treatment standards, a policy backdrop that directly favors products like Vegzelma. Reporting from The Chosun Ilbo’s English business edition highlights Celltrion’s view of Vietnam as a strategic hub for expanding oncology biosimilar penetration across ASEAN markets.

For Celltrion, Vegzelma complements its existing oncology and autoimmune biosimilar portfolio, which includes infliximab (Remsima) and trastuzumab (Herzuma), allowing hospitals that already use its products to work with a broader single-supplier range and potentially simplify procurement, training and pharmacovigilance. The company has emphasized that leveraging shared manufacturing platforms and global clinical data packages is central to its ability to offer bevacizumab biosimilars at competitive prices while keeping gross margins at levels that support further pipeline investment, a model it is now testing more aggressively in emerging markets such as Vietnam.

Within the group’s product mix, oncology biosimilars are increasingly important as payers worldwide continue to seek savings on high-cost cancer biologics without compromising outcomes, and Vegzelma is one of the key levers Celltrion is using to capture share from established bevacizumab brands in both developed and emerging markets. The Vietnamese launch is also expected to support the firm’s regional logistics and physician-education infrastructure, which can then be used to introduce additional biosimilars in areas like immunology and hematology, creating cross-selling opportunities that go beyond a single molecule.

From a corporate perspective, the expansion of Vegzelma into Vietnam underscores Celltrion’s strategy to balance mature markets, where price competition is intense, with higher-growth geographies where biologic penetration is still ramping up and branded reference products can be prohibitively expensive for many health systems. Shares of Celltrion (KR7068270008) closed on the Korea Exchange (KRX) at KRW 142,500 on 06/13/2026, reflecting investor attention on the long-term contribution of oncology biosimilars like Vegzelma to the company’s international revenue mix.

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