'Latuda,' the new schizophrenia drug, can be prescribed

at major hospitals with reimbursement coverage

Lands at tertiary general hospitals, including Samsung·SNU·Severance hospitals

Bukwang Pharmaceutical newly establishes a new business division…focuses on strengthening its CNS capacity

Product photo of Latuda

'Latuda,' a treatment for schizophrenia, becomes available for prescription at general hospitals.

 

According to industry sources, Bukwang Pharmaceutical's Latuda (lurasidone) has passed the drug committees of tertiary general hospitals, including Samsung Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, and Severance Hospital in Sinchon, and major medical centers, including Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and Ajou University Hospital.

 

After Latuda was added to the reimbursement list in August 2024 and officially launched in November, it became widely prescribed.

 

Latuda is an atypical antipsychotic medication developed by Japan's Sumitomo Pharma.

 

In April 2017, Bukwang Pharmaceutical acquired the exclusive license of Latuda for South Korea and has exclusive development and sales rights.

 

This drug is orally administred once daily and works by binding to dopamine and serotonin receptors in the central nervous system, blocking the action of neurotransmitters in the brain.

 

Bukwang Pharmaceutical appears to be focusing on strengthening business capacity in the CNS field through Latuda.

 

The company newly established a CNS business division last year.

 

The company projects that Latuda will become a blockbuster pharmaceutical within several years.

 

Currently, the second-generation antipsychotics Otsuka's 'Abilify,' Boryung's 'Zyprexa,' and Janssen's 'Invega' are dominant in the Korean market.

 

Meanwhile, the efficacy of Latuda has been confirmed in five short-term (6 weeks) placebo-controlled clinical trials for the treatment of schizophrenia in patients between the ages of 18 and 72 who have schizophrenia (average age of 38.4).

 

An active control (olanzapine or quetiapine) was included in two clinical studies to assess the analysis sensitivity.

 

The primary endpoints were the PANSS score, a multi-item inventory primarily focusing on positive symptoms of schizophrenia, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale derived (BPRSd), and the Clinical Global Impression Severity scale (CGI-S).

 

In the clinical trials, all Latuda dosages (40mg, 80mg, 120mg) showed superior BPRSd total score and CGI-S score compared to the placebo group.

 

The 40mg Latuda treatment group had an average BPRSd score of 54.2 points, different from 48.6 points of the placebo group.

 

The 80mg Latuda treatment group had 55.1 points, higher than 50.4 points of the placebo group, and the 120mg Latuda treatment group had 52.7 points, an improved score than 46.0 points of the placebo group.