Janssen takes sole lead in the ₩50 billion PAH market

Will it succeed in standing on its own?

Concludes co-promotion with Handok at the end of last year…Accounts for 47% of the market in Q1

‘Opsumit’ ‘Uptravi’ rise …is being fiercely chased by ’Remodulin’

Janssen Korea is solidifying its lead in the ₩50 billion pulmonary arterial hypertension market in Korea.

 

Whether the company will be able to maintain the share it has built up so far after terminating the co-promotion agreement with Handok remains a large variable.

 

◆The market for the rare disease pulmonary arterial hypertension expands to record ₩50 billion According to the pharmaceutical market research institution IQVIA, the market size for pulmonary arterial hypertension treatments last year was estimated at ₩51.4 billion.

 

This market is steadily expanding with the discovery of new patients.

 

Sales in the market in Q1 this year recorded ₩13.8 billion, a 12% YoY increase from the ₩12.2 billion in Q1 last year.

 

The market size increased 51% in the past 4 years from the ₩9.1 billion in Q1 2018.

 

Change in sales trend of treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (Unit 100 million won, Data: IQVIA)

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is classified by function into three groups by the World Health Organization (WHO).

 

Class 1 patients may be administered calcium channel blockers (CCB) that are widely used for hypertension treatment.

 

For conditions that fall into WHO Class 2-3 may use endothelin receptor antagonists such as ambrisentan, bosentan, macitentan, or prostacyclin analogs such as beraprost, epoprostenol, iloporst, treprostinil, selexipag.

 

In some cases, erectile dysfunction treatments such as sildenafil and tadalafil are prescribed.

 

◆Janssen Korea settles as sold lead in the market with its 3 drugs By company, Janssen Korea was found to have the sole lead in the market.

 

Janssen Korea’s share accounted for 47% of the entire market in Q1 this year, followed by Anterogen (18%), Jeil Pharmaceutical (11%), and GSK (11%).

 

Picture of Opsumit

Janssen Korea owns 3 types of pulmonary arterial hypertension treatments - Opsumit (macitentan), Uptravi (selexipag), and Tracleer (bosentan).

 

Opsumit has the highest sales among WHO Functional Class 2-3 treatments.

 

Since its release in 2016, sales had steadily increased to record ₩16 billion last year.

 

The drug sold ₩4.3 billion in Q1 this year, which is a 112% YoY increase from the same period last year (₩3.9 billion) Janssen Korea’s other treatments are also showing even growth.

 

Uptravi and Tracleer have all raised ₩1.1 billion in sales in Q1 this year.

 

This is a 5% YoY increase from the sales made in Q1 last year.

 

◆Janssen Korea sets out to stand alone in the market…will it be able to shake off its competitors?… The interest is focused on whether Janssen Korea will be able to maintain its sold lead in the market.

 

Janssen recently concluded its long partnership with Handok.

 

Handok first introduced Tracleer to Korea in 2006.

 

At the time, the company was in charge of domestic sales of the product that was produced by Actelion.

 

Handok then also took charge of selling Opsumit in 2016 and Uptravi in 2017 that followed.

 

Handok maintained the exclusive sales agreement for the drugs even after Actelion was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2017.

 

However, Janssen Korea and Handok concluded their domestic co-promotion agreement at the end of last year.

 

Therefore, Janssen Korea is now solely in charge of the drugs’ domestic sales.

 

Janssen Korea is now left with the challenge of avoiding the pursuits of Anterogen’s ‘Remodulin (Treprostinil)’ and GSK’s Volibris (ambrisentan) on its own.

 

Quarterly sales of major treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension (Unit 100 million won, Data: IQVIA)

Anterogen received approval for Remodulin in 2010.

 

Although the drug did not show good performance earlier in its release, being an injection type with inconvenient administration, its presence and sales have rapidly increased since 2019.

 

Remodulin's sales more than tripled in the past three years from ₩2.8 billion in 2018 to ₩9 billion last year, and then recorded sales of ₩2.5 billion in Q1 this year.

 

In the case of GSK’s Volibris, sales rose 57% in three years from the ₩3.3 billion in 2018 to ₩5.2 billion last year.

 

In Q1 this year, the drug raised sales of ₩1.4 billion, a 17% YoY increase from Q1 last year.