Celltrion donates least among top Korean pharma companies

Celltrion has offered the least amount in charitable donations among Korea’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies last year, data showed Sunday.

According to its audit report filed with the Financial Supervisory Service, Celltrion donated a total of 18.9 million won ($16,390) last year, equivalent to about 0.003 percent of its revenue of 603.4 billion won.

The data shows Celltrion lagging in the area of corporate social responsibility despite being the most-watched company in the field, following the approval of its biosimilar drug Remsima for the U.S. market.

Celltrion’s donations fall far behind even Jeil Pharmaceutical, which came in second from bottom with donations of 134 million won.  

A spokesman from Celltrion said that the company gives back to the community, focused in the Incheon area, through medical and food contributions that may not be directly reflected in the data.

Green Cross topped the list of charitable donations with contributions of 6.49 billion won, or 4.39 percent of its revenue last year. 

Excluding the top two contributors -- Green Cross and Kwangdong Pharmaceutical -- the remaining eight companies donated an average of 718 million won in 2015.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)