Chong Kun Dang hastens way into diabetes Tx market

Secures two new drug series

Added 2 new diabetes drugs based on Duvie...now offers 4 products in its Duvie series

Is simultaneously conducting 4 clinical trials for its diabetes treatments...aims at a strategy to preoccupy the market before the patent expiry of Januvia

Chong Kun Dang is working to accelerate the expansion of its diabetes treatment portfolio.

 

In addition to its own ‘Duvie (lobeglitazone),’ the company received approval for diabetes combination drugs that contain 'Januvia (sitagliptin),’ which it had acquired rights for in Korea.

 

The release of such combination drugs is considered the company’s strategy to preoccupy the market before the patent expiry of Januvia.

 

According to industry sources on the 12th, Chong Kung Dang received approval for its Duvie Tab from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 9th.

 

The drug is a combination between sitagliptin and lobeglitazone.

 

The company had received approval for Duvie, a TZD-class diabetes treatment in 2013 as the 20th new new homegrown drug in Korea.

 

In May, it acquired the license for MSD's DPP-4 inhibitor class diabetes treatment, Januvia.

 

It acquired all rights, including domestic sales, distribution, licensing, trademark, and manufacturing, for not only Januvia but also Janumet and Janumet XR.

 

As a result, Chong Kun Dang now owns 2 original drugs in the diabetes market.

 

Immediately after acquiring Januvia, Chong Kun Dang obtained approval for a series of combination drugs that contain lobeglitazone and sitagliptin.

 

On the 2nd of last month, Chong Kun Dang obtained approval for DuviMet-S XR, a three-drug combination for diabetes consisting of lobeglitazone, sitagliptin, and metformin.

 

With the addition of Duvie-S to the lot, Chong Kun Dang's Duvie-based diabetes lineup has increased to amount to a total of 4: Duvie Tab which was approved in 2013, DuviMet XR Tab that was approved in 2016 (lobeglitazone + metformin), and DuviMet-S SR Tab and Duvie S Tab that were added this year.

 

The company is expected to continue expanding its diabetes treatment portfolio for some time.

 

Chong Kun Dang is currently conducting 4 clinical trials to treat diabetes: Phase III clinical trials for CKD-383, CKD-398, and CKD-371 and Phase I clinical trials for CKD-379.

 

Among them, CKD-383 and CKD-379 are three-drug combination drugs for diabetes, presumably a combination product based on Duvie or Januvia.

 

Chong Kun Dang

The industry predicted that the imminent expiry of Januvia's patent was behind Chong Kun Dang's rapid expansion of its diabetes portfolio.

 

Januvia's patent is set to expire in September.

 

About 100 companies, excluding Chong Kun Dang and MSD, are expected to simultaneously release single and combination drugs that contain sitagliptin at the time of patent expiry.

 

With such fierce competition being expected, Chong Kun Dang’s move is interpreted as a strategy to preoccupy the market by releasing a combination drug based on sitagliptin and lobeglitazone 2-3 months in advance.

 

In particular, in a situation where the growth of both its Duvie series and the Januvia series are have been slowing down, attention is focused on how much synergy the combination of the two drugs will bring to the market.

 

According to the market research institution UBIST, Duvie and Duvimet recorded a combined prescription amount of KRW 25.4 billion last year.

 

This was a slight increase from the KRW 25.1 billion it made in 2021.

 

In Q1 this year, the drugs recorded KRW 6.1 billion, down KRW 100 million from the previous year.

 

The Januvia series recorded prescription sales of KRW 162.5 billion last year.

 

The amount decreased by 8% compared to the KRW 176.3 billion the series had made in 2021.

 

In Q1 this year, prescription sales were KRW 37.9 billion, down 9% from the previous year.