Homegrown Rosuzet·K-CAB sell over ₩10 bil a month

Ranks No.2 and No.3 in outpatient prescriptions in Q1 this year, Lipitor leads market with ₩48.8 billion

New drugs developed by Korean pharmaceutical companies are showing strength in the prescription market.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s Rosuzet and HK Inno.

 

N’s K-CAB has recorded over ₩10 billion in monthly sales and made a good start.

 

According to the market research institution UBIST on the 19th, the hyperlipidemia treatment Lipitor recorded No.1 in Q1 making ₩48.8 billion in outpatient prescriptions in Q1 this year.

 

This is a 1.8% decrease from the same period of the previous year, but still a solid lead over the runner-up.

 

Lipitor is Pfizer Korea’s dyslipidemia treatment that contains atorvastatin that was introduced to the Korean market in 1999.

 

Despite the fierce competition with the entry of around 100 generics after patent expiry, the original Lipitor has been boasting its strong influence over the prescription drug market.

 

Viatris, which was launched through the merger of Pfizer’s off-patent drug division Upjohn and Mylan, has been in charge of its sales since November 2020.

 

The homegrown drugs, Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s Rosuzet and HK Inno.

 

N’s K-CAB continued its strong growth.

 

Rosuzet recorded No.2 in sales among all outpatient prescriptions with ₩32.7 billion.

 

Rosuzet is a combination drug for hyperlipidemia that was released at the end of 2015.

 

Rosuzet has been experiencing rapid growth thanks to its market preoccupation effect and the popularity of the statin and ezetimibe combinations K-CAB’s prescription performance in Q1 had also expanded 23.3% from the previous year to record ₩30.1 billion.

 

K-CAB, which was released in March 2019, is a new P-CAB class antiulcer drug.

 

It had first created a sensation selling ₩30.9 billion in the first year of its release and has exceeded ₩100 billion in annual sales last year, only three years since its release.

 

Unless something major comes up, sales of Rosuzet and K-CAB will again easily exceed ₩100 billion this year.

 

Among homegrown drugs, Daewoong Bio’s Gliatamin, Chong Kun Dang’s Chong Kun Dang Gliatirin, and LG Chem’s Zemimet have made the ranks in outpatient prescriptions.

 

Sales of the brain function enhancer that contains choline alphoscerate such as Gliatamin and Chong Kun Dang Gliatirin recorded ₩26.5 billion and ₩23.6 billion in prescriptions in Q1 this year.

 

Despite the difficulties, the class is facing due to controversy over its efficacy, reimbursement reductions, and order for negotiations to redeem paid reimbursement expenses, the drugs have shown off their continued strength in the market.

 

Sales of Gliatamin fell 0.4% YoY but continued to be popular in the market.

 

Chong Kun Dang Gliatirin’s sales rose 10.5% YoY and showed high growth.

 

Prescriptions of LG Chem’s antidiabetic combo drug Zemimet rose 7.0% YoY to record ₩23 billion and rank No.8 in outpatient prescriptions in Q1 this year.

 

Zemimet is a combination of the new DPP-4 inhibitor class Zemiglo (gemigliptin) that was developed by LG Chem and metformin.

 

The performance of Plavix among off-patent drugs by multinational pharmaceutical companies has also been noticeable.

 

Sanofi-Aventis’s antithrombotic drug Plavix has sold 11.5% more than the previous year to record ₩28.9 billion in prescriptions, ranking at No.4.

 

In Korea, Plavix is sold in partnership with Dongwha Pharm since 2017.