Shionogi applies to trademark its COVID-19 treatment

hurries its steps for commercialization

Trademark application review for 6 brands including Xocova·Zocovati in their final stages in Korea

Ildong “plans to apply for emergency use authorization in Korea if the drug receives conditional approval in Japan”

With the domestic trademark application for the COVID-19 treatment that is being jointly developed by Shionogi Pharma and Ildong Pharmaceutical nearing completion, Shionogi Pharma and Ildong Pharmaceutical are speeding up preparations to commercialize its drug in Korea in the second half of this year.

 

Shionogi submitted a trademark application for XOCOVA

According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office on the 7th, Shionogi Pharma recently submitted an application for 6 trademarks including ‘Xocava.’ The trademarks were registered for ▲ antiviral drugs ▲ drugs for human use ▲ drugs for medical use ▲ animal drugs, etc.

 

In addition to ‘Xocova,’ Shionogi submitted trademark applications for ‘Zocovea,’ ‘Zocovaty,’ ‘Xovished,’ ‘Xocovetti,’ and ‘Vyveclis.’ The KIPO review for the trademarks is complete, and the names are undergoing an objection submission period.

 

Industry prospects are that these are brand names of ‘S-217622,’ the COVID-19 treatment that is being jointly developed by Shionogi Pharma and Ildong Pharmaceutical.

 

The same names are known to have been already trademarked in Japan.

 

Therefore, one of the names above may well be the brand name of S-217622 when Ildong Pharmaceutical applies for its emergency use approval to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in the near future.

 

Ildong Pharmaceutical expects to commercialize S-217622 by the second half of the year.

 

If Shionogi Pharma receives conditional approval for S-217622 in Japan, the company plans to use the approval as a basis with the domestic Phase IIb clinical trial results to apply for its emergency use approval in Korea.

 

An official from Ildong Pharmaceutical said, “Shionogi Pharma has completed the Phase IIb trial for S-217622 and submitted an application for its conditional approval to the Japanese government.

 

The company expects the conditional approval to come within the third quarter of this year.

 

We plan to apply for emergency use approval in Korea after the results come out in Japan.” He added, “After we receive emergency use approval in Korea, we will receive technology transfer from Shionogi and start full-scale production.

 

We have completed preparations and are ready to start production as soon as we receive the technology transfer." Ildong Pharmaceutical has been jointly developing S-217622 with Shionogi Pharma since November last year.

 

Shionogi Pharma is in charge of the global trials in other countries and Ildong is in charge of the trials in Korea.

 

The patient size for the domestic Phase IIb trial is set at 200, and at 400 for the Phase III trial.

 

Patient enrollment for the domestic Phase IIb trial is known to be complete.

 

S-217622 inhibits the 3CL protease that is essential for the replication of SARS-CoV-2.

 

The oral COVID-19 treatments currently approved in Korea are Pfizer’s Paxlovid (ritonavir·nirmatrelvir) and MSD’s Lagevrio (molnupiravir).

 

If commercialized, S-217622 may be listed as the third oral COVID-19 treatment to be approved in Korea.