K-new drugs Rosuzet·K-CAB dominate the prescription market

Tagrisso ↑

Rosuzet leads the market for outpatient prescription sales for three consecutive quarters…generated KRW 253.6B in cumulative sales for Q3

K-CAB ranks second for two consecutive quarters…surpassed KRW 50B in quarterly prescription sales

Tagrisso, significant growth in outpatient prescription sales due to expanded reimbursement…Leclaza 86%↑

Pharmaceuticals developed by Korean pharmaceutical companies using their R&D capacities have strengthened their influence on the outpatient prescription market.

 

Quarterly prescription sales of Hanmi Pharmaceutical's new combination drug, Rosuzet, and HK inno.N's K-CAB exceeded KRW 50 billion, ranking at the top.

 

Astra Zeneca's anticancer agent, Tagrisso, also exhibits a high growth rate with its expanded reimbursement.

 

According to drug market research company IQVIA on October 23rd, Rosuzet, a combination therapy used to treat hyperlipidemia, recorded the highest outpatient prescription amount by generating KRW 53.5 billion.

 

Rosuzet exhibited growth of 17.5% compared to Q3 last year, leading the market for the past three quarters.

 

Pharmaceuticals ranking by quarterly outpatient sales.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical

Launched in late 2015, Rosuzet is a combination drug for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

 

It is comprised of two active ingredients: Rosuvastatin and Ezetimibe.

 

Since Rosuvastatin·Ezetimibe combination drugs are effective in lowering low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and cost less than taking two separate drugs, they are popular in the prescription market.

 

From generating KRW 26.7 billion in prescription sales in Q3 of 2020, Rosuzet continued to exhibit a high growth rate, doubling in size over 4 years.

 

In Q1, Rosuzet became first pharmaceuticals developed in South Korea to rank No.1, and it continued to maintain the top-rank for three consecutive quarters.

 

Rosuzet's cumulative prescription sales for Q3 were KRW 153.6 billion, up 17.3 % year-over-year (YoY).

 

It is likely to exceed KRW 200 billion in prescription sales.

 

Rosuzet has exceeded KRW 100 billion in prescription sales for five consecutive years since 2020.

 

K-CAB's prescription sales for Q3 amounted to KRW 50.4 billion, up 27.5% YoY, ranking No.2.

 

It surpassed Lipitor in Q2 and became second.

 

In Q3, it chased Rosuzet by a difference of KRW 3.2 billion, placing among top-ranked pharmaceuticals.

 

K-Cab's cumulative prescription sales for Q3 were KRW 142.2 billion, up 24.6% from the previous year.

 

K-CAB, approved as the 30th new drug developed in South Korea in 2018, is an antiulcer drug of the 'Potassium-Competitive Acid Blockers (P-CAB)' class.

 

It blocks gastric acid by competitive binding of proton pumps and potassium ions, which are expressed in the gastric parietal cells catalyzing gastric acid secretion in the final step.

 

K-CAB quickly shows drug effects faster than the conventional proton pump inhibitors (PPI).

 

It continues to exhibit a high growth trend with its benefit of taking the medication regardless of food intake.

 

K-CAB secured five indications serially, including treatment of erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease, treatment of non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease, treatment of gastric ulcer, antibiotic combination therapy for the eradication of Helicobacter pylori in patients with peptic ulcer or chronic atrophic gastritis.

 

K-CAB's sales partner changed from Chong Kun Dang to Boryung this year, but the company continued to show high growth.

 

HK inno.N and Boryung signed a co-promotion agreement at the end of last year, and they have started to co-sell K-CAB and the Kanarb family products.

 

Astra Zeneca's anticancer agent, Tagrisso, also exhibited significant growth.

 

In Q3, Tagrisso generated KRW 36.5 billion in outpatient prescription sales, up 59.4% YoY.

 

It skyrocketed 72.4% in two years from KRW 21.2 billion in Q3 of 2022.

 

Tagrisso is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).

 

EGFR-TKI is a targeted anticancer agent prescribed to patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have accompanying EGFR mutations.

 

Starting this year, Tagrisso expanded the National Health Insurance reimbursement scope to include the 'first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with specific genetic mutations' along with Yuhan's Leclaza.

 

In Q4 of last year, Tagrisso recorded KRW 21 billion in outpatient prescription sales, showing a 73.6% increase over three quarters due to expanded reimbursement.

 

Anticancer agents are primarily prescribed for inpatients.

 

However, Tagrisso significantly increased outpatient prescription sales due to its oral formulation.

 

Expanded during a similar period as Tagrisso, Leclaza recorded KRW 12.8 billion in outpatient prescription sales for Q3, up 86.1% from last year.

 

Daewoong Bio's Gliatamin, a brain function-improving drug containing choline alfoscerate, recorded KRW 41.2 billion in Q3 prescription sales, down 4.4% from the previous year.

 

It ranked fourth overall.

 

Despite several issues related to its efficacy, reduced reimbursement scope, and retrieval negotiation order, it continued to influence the market for prescription drugs.

 

In Q3, Chong Kung Dang's choline alfoscerate containing Chongkundang Gliatirin recorded KRW 31.1 billion, a 10.9% increase from the previous year, placing among the top.