Celltrion forecasts record quarterly revenue, operating profit for Q4

Celltrion's headquarters in Incheon/ Courtesy of Celltrion
 SEOUL, December 31 (AJP) - Celltrion said Wednesday that it expects to post record-breaking fourth-quarter results, projecting revenue of 1.28 trillion won ($889 million) and operating profit of 472.2 billion won for the October-December period.

The South Korean biopharmaceutical giant's forecast marks a 20.7 percent year-on-year surge in revenue and a 140.4 percent jump in operating profit, with operating margin reaching 36.8 percent.

Should the projections hold, Celltrion's full-year revenue would climb 15.7 percent to 4.12 trillion won, while annual operating profit would more than double to 1.17 trillion won — breaching the 4 trillion won and 1 trillion won thresholds for the first time in the company's history.

The robust performance stems from the rapid global uptake of newer biosimilar products including Remsima SC, Yuflyma, and Vegzelma, which are expected to post double-digit growth rates and account for more than 60 percent of quarterly sales.

Celltrion also disclosed that its fourth-quarter cost of goods sold ratio dropped to 36.1 percent from 39 percent in the previous quarter, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is projected to hit a record 538.9 billion won.

The company said it will complete the acquisition of Eli Lilly's biopharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Branchburg, New Jersey by year-end and will begin contract manufacturing operations and U.S.-bound production next year.

"From 2026, we will focus on substantive growth centered on high-margin product lines," said a Celltrion spokesperson.

The company added that it applied conservative assumptions to the forecast, citing market volatility ahead of final earnings confirmation.
Kim Dong-young Business Reporter davekim0807@ajupress.com