MSD Korea has dissolved its Samsung Bioepis’s biosimilar promotion team and has stopped all sales effort, according to multiple sources within the company on Wednesday.

The confirmation comes after a local media outlet reported that MSD Korea decided to return the exclusive rights to market Samsung Bioepis’ biosimilar Brenzys (Original: Enbrel) and Renflexis (Remicade) due to poor sales result.

“The company has dissolved the biosimilar sales team,” an MSD Korea sales official told Korea Biomedical Review recently. "We are not promoting the product anymore, but we will supply related materials or products to hospitals if requested.”

The official added that the biosimilar sales team quickly disappeared earlier this year and all personnel within the department have relocated.

Another MSD Korea sales official said, "Our company is known to have decided to return Samsung Bioepis’ domestic sales right some time ago.”

However, Samsung Bioepis denied reports on the termination of the sales right deal with MSD Korea.

“Although there have been rumors circulating the company about the matter, nothing has been decided by the company,” a Samsung Bioepis official said. “Nothing is official until the companies decide on the issue.”

MSD Korea has been handling marketing and distribution of Brenzys and Renflexis after the two drugs received sales approval in 2015. The two companies signed a commercialization agreement two years before the sales approval.