Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin will visit key overseas markets across Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan throughout August to review global sales strategies and accelerate business growth in the second half of the year, the company announced Tuesday.
The overseas tour follows Celltrion Group's record first-half financial performance and is aimed at strengthening the company's global commercial operations. Seo is scheduled to inspect regional sales performance, product supply plans, upcoming launches and market-specific business strategies while meeting local management teams.
The company said the chairman will focus on improving execution across its global direct sales network by reviewing country-specific market conditions and making timely decisions on operational issues identified in the field.
Europe will be one of the tour's primary destinations as Celltrion continues expanding its commercial presence in the region. The company recently strengthened its European business infrastructure through acquisitions including French healthcare company Gifrer and Swiss pharmaceutical distributor iQone.
Celltrion has also broadened its European sales model beyond hospitals and government procurement markets by expanding direct pharmacy distribution. During the visit, Seo will review pharmacy channel expansion and assess market penetration strategies for major products across individual European countries.
The trip reflects Celltrion's long-term strategy of strengthening its global direct sales capabilities. Since launching its direct sales model in 2019, the company has established local subsidiaries that work directly with physicians, hospitals, insurance providers and government procurement agencies instead of relying primarily on third-party distributors.
Industry analysts say direct commercial capabilities have become an increasingly important competitive advantage for global pharmaceutical companies, allowing faster decision-making and closer relationships with healthcare providers and customers in each market.
Celltrion reported record consolidated first-half revenue of KRW 2.54 trillion (approximately US$1.83 billion) and operating profit of KRW 773.7 billion, representing year-on-year increases of 40.8% and 97.4%, respectively.
The company's strong earnings were driven by steady sales of its biosimilar portfolio and a growing contribution from higher-margin products. Follow-up products, including the subcutaneous autoimmune treatment Remsima SC, accounted for approximately 65% of total revenue during the first half.
For the remainder of the year, Celltrion expects additional growth from expanded tender contracts across Europe and broader product launches in international markets. The company plans to further refine country-specific commercial strategies while increasing market share for its biosimilar portfolio.
During the overseas tour, Seo will also meet employees at local subsidiaries to hear operational challenges and encourage staff working in overseas markets. The company said strengthening communication with frontline employees remains an important part of its global management strategy.
"Chairman Seo will personally review business execution in major global markets and inspect key initiatives to drive sales growth in the second half," a Celltrion Group official said. "We will continue strengthening our global commercial competitiveness while expanding the growth of our product portfolio."
