Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin. [Celltrion]
Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin. [Celltrion]

Celltrion has completed post-merger integration of Gifrer, the French healthcare company it acquired in May, and is now moving to make the firm's local pharmacy distribution network a new growth engine for its European expansion.

Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin recently visited the company's French subsidiary and Gifrer as part of a second-half global sales review, examining organizational operations, the pharmacy sales network and product-by-product sales strategies in detail. Seo directed the team to accelerate execution — converting secured sales assets into tangible revenue and market share gains — and to rapidly replicate the model built in France across the rest of Europe.

Gifrer brings a network of more than 9,000 pharmacies and over 800 hospital supply channels across France, along with a portfolio of more than 140 over-the-counter, pharmacy-dispensed and health supplement products. Celltrion plans to combine Gifrer's pharmacy channel with its existing direct sales network — centered on hospitals, medical professionals and tender institutions — to build an omnichannel system covering hospital prescriptions through pharmacy dispensing, administration and repeat purchases.

The company sees particular synergy with subcutaneous formulations that patients self-administer. France has allowed substitution dispensing for select biopharmaceuticals since 2022, and the list of eligible products has been gradually expanding.

In line with that regulatory shift, Celltrion plans to use the Gifrer pharmacy network to drive subcutaneous formulation sales and broaden its biosimilar reach. As a first step, it is preparing a direct pharmacy launch of its bone disease treatment Stoboclo-Osenvelt (denosumab) to align with France's regulatory and substitution dispensing schedule.

Celltrion is also pursuing portfolio diversification to maximize the distribution network's productivity. The company is actively exploring licensing and local launches of third-party biosimilars, generics and healthcare products that do not compete directly with its own lineup, aiming to improve sales efficiency and expand Gifrer's revenue opportunities. On the group synergy front, Celltrion Skincure's derma cosmetics brand Gifuderm is set to launch in the French pharmacy market in early 2027, linked to the French subsidiary's existing sales network for dermatological biopharmaceuticals Yuflyma and Omlyclo.

Celltrion intends to use France as both a test bed and a hub for a phased expansion of the pharmacy business model across Europe. After validating the approach in France, the company will extend direct pharmacy sales to Western European markets with strong direct-sales capabilities and anticipated substitution dispensing adoption. Smaller neighboring countries will see portfolio expansion through Gifrer's existing pharmacy product lineup, while markets where substitution dispensing is not permitted will be approached through product diversification and brand expansion before being integrated into a Europe-wide system tailored to each country's regulatory environment.

By vertically integrating community pharmacy distribution into its existing hospital-centered direct tender sales structure, Celltrion said it has laid the groundwork for what it calls a "Direct Sales 2.0" era, positioning itself to respond proactively to shifting biosimilar substitution dispensing policies across Europe.

"We have completed the necessary post-acquisition work at Gifrer and are fully prepared for a new leap forward," said Kim Dong-sik, Celltrion's head of European global operations. "We will expand our portfolio beyond our own products to include non-competing third-party offerings, and gradually extend the pharmacy sales model validated in France across Europe, adapting it to each country's regulatory system."


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