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- 2025-12-25 12:25:16
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- [2021 Pharmaceutical Patent Settlement] The target is Dukarb
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Dec 23, 2021 05:41am
- Generics' challenge was found to have been concentrated on patents for Boryung's hypertension complex "Dukarb," Novartis' heart failure treatment "Entresto," and Hanmi Pharmaceutical's asthma treatment "Monterizine. The number of companies targeting the patent alone amounts to 45 Dukarb companies, 24 Entresto companies, and 22 Monterizine companies. ◆Focus on requesting a trial on Dukarb, Entresto, and Monterizine patents According to the pharmaceutical industry on the 22nd, referees have been filed for 20 patents for 9 drugs so far this year. A total of 68 companies have requested patent trials. Patent attacks were concentrated on Boryung's Dukarb. After Arlico filed a passive trial to confirm the scope of rights for patents for complex composition in February, 44 more companies challenged. Analysts say that as the expiration of material patent of Kanarb (Fimasartan) is just two years away, it is scrambling to target patents for composite drugs. The material patent expires in February 2023. If the Dukarb patent's challenge is successful, generic companies will be able to release generics early in time for the expiration of the material patent. Dukarb has the highest prescription sales among Kanarb combinations. According to UBIST, a pharmaceutical market research firm, Dukarb was prescribed 36.1 billion won last year, followed by 30.2 billion won by the third quarter of this year. Five companies in the second half of the year gave up their challenge. Yuyu Pharmaceutical, Hanwha Pharmaceutical, Daehan New pharm, Kims, and PharmGen Science chose to give up their challenge one after another. The pharmaceutical industry is paying keen attention to whether more companies will give up patent challenges, citing the fierce competition in the ARB+CCB-based high blood pressure second-drug market. Twenty-four companies challenged Novartis' Entresto. In January, after Elyson Pharmaceutical filed a passive rights scope confirmation trial for a decisive patent, a passive rights scope confirmation trial and invalidation trial were filed for five patents registered in Entresto. In the case of Entresto, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Daewon Pharmaceutical, Dasan Pharmaceutical, Shinil Pharmaceutical, MFC, Kyperions and Corepharmbio voluntarily withdrew the passive trial to confirm the scope of rights filed in the decisive patent. Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, and Daewon Pharmaceutical plan to continue challenging patents for use, composition patents, and pharmaceutical patents. In the case of Entresto, there is no separate material patent. Instead, patents for use and composition, which expire in 2027, are serving as material patents. Twenty-two companies have also challenged Hanmi Pharmaceutical's asthma treatment Monterizine. Monterizine is protected by four patents that expire in 2032. In September, Hanwha Pharmaceutical filed a passive rights scope confirmation trial for all four patents, followed by 21 companies joining the dispute. However, as Genuonescience voluntarily withdrew, the dispute is expected to lead to a showdown between 21 companies and Hanmi Pharmaceutical. ◆Genuone, Kyung Dong, Mothers; Tenelia MSR patent avoidance, generics can be released next year Alvogen Korea and Samsung Bioepis have filed for invalidation of three patents for Roche's targeted anticancer drug Avastin (Bevacizumab). Both companies are participating in the development of Avastin biosimilars. Alvogen Korea is said to be developing biosimilars at the global headquarters level, not at its Korean subsidiary. Daewoong Pharmaceutical filed a passive trial to confirm the scope of rights in Amgen's psoriasis treatment Otezla drug. Daewoong Pharmaceutical also filed a request for a trial on one other drug patent and a patent for use last year. At that time, Daewoong won the first trial in the patent trial. However, the case is still underway with Amgen's appeal. The dispute over patents for use has not yet ended. A patent challenge on BMS's leukemia treatment "Sprycel" also continued. Daewoong Pharmaceutical filed a trial for invalidation of the Sprycel patent in January. Boryung Pharmaceutical filed a trial on the same patent last year, and in December this year, it filed a passive trial to confirm the scope of rights for a crystalline patent. Genuonescience, along with Mothers Pharmaceutical and Kyungdong Pharmaceutical, requested a passive rights scope confirmation trial for a patent for Handok's diabetes complex "Tenelia M SR." With the victory of the dispute in May this year, they can launch generics after October 2022 when the material license of Tenelia, a single drug, expires. BCWORLD challenged Chong Kun Dang's two patents of Telminuvo. They won in October and November.
- Company
- MNC employees enjoy 17 days maximum as year-end holidays
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Dec 22, 2021 05:57am
- As in any year, the multinational pharmaceutical companies are again closing down for a long-term year-end holiday. According to Dailypharm’s research of 23 major pharmaceutical companies in Korea, 6 companies have set a 10-day or longer year-end holiday. Also, more than 10 pharmaceutical companies will be closing down for nine days. Also, in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic, many multinational pharmaceutical companies are allowing their employees and executives to use their annual leaves to extend their holidays. Abbvie and Takeda Pharmaceutical are taking the longest days off. The companies have been closed since the 17th, for 17 days until January 2nd, 2022. Amgen’s employees are given a 13-day break, the Sanofi group 12 days, AstraZeneca 11 days, and Astellas 10 days. Companies and associations including Daiichi Sankyo, Roche, Boehringer Ingelheim, Viatris, Organon, Otsuka, Pfizer, BMS, Korean Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association, MSD will start their annual year-end holidays from the 25th. This means that 16 pharmaceutical companies will close their doors on Christmas Day. Most other companies including Gilead, Lilly, Merck, Biogen, Bayer, Janssen, GSK will be taking their year-end holidays by using their annual leaves. Although the employees are advised to use their annual leaves as they please, these employees will also be enjoying over 10 days as year-end holidays. Regardless of the designated holiday period, many employees have already been using their annual leaves to start their break early from this week. A pharmaceutical company official said, “Many employees are enjoying over 20 days of the holiday by using their annual leaves before and after the set days. I am pleased to be able to take the time to recharge as this year has been particularly exhausting for us and the industry with the aftermaths of COVID-19, among others.”
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- JW Pharm to discuss technical partnerships for its gout Tx
- by Lee, Seok-Jun Dec 22, 2021 05:56am
- JW Pharmaceutical will be discussing technical partnerships for its key new drug candidates such as URC102 and JW2286 with global pharmaceutical companies. On the 20th, JW Pharmaceutical announced that it will be attending the ‘2022 JP Morgan Healthcare Conference’ that will be held online from the 10th next month (local time) and introduce its research projects to overseas pharmaceutical companies and global investors and conduct one-on-one virtual partnership consultations. The company plans to discuss tech partnerships for its self-developed innovative drug candidates at the conference. For example, the company will be promoting the technology export of its gout treatment URC102 to the global market, other than China. JW Pharmaceutical had signed a technology transfer agreement for URC102 with a Chinese company, Simcere Pharmaceutical, in 2019. The safety and efficacy of URC102 were demonstrated through a Phase 2b clinical trial that was completed in March. The company had also started a clinical trial to extend the eligibility of the drug to patients with nephropathies. A Phase III trial on these subjects is expected to start next year. Also, the company will promote technology partnerships for its STAT3-targeted anticancer drug, JW2286. JW2286 inhibits STAT3 and is indicated for the treatment of solid tumors, such as triple-negative breast cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, etc. The company is conducting nonclinical studies and drug manufacturing research to initiate clinical trials. STAT3 is a protein that promotes the expression of multiple genes. The abnormal activation of STAT3 causes tumor cell growth, proliferation, metastasis, and drug tolerance, but none had succeeded in developing anticancer drugs targeting STAT3 so far. Also, JW Pharmaceuticals will share its latest research and clinical development strategies on JW0061, a new drug candidate for hair loss that differentiates and promotes hair follicle stem cells involved in hair formation by activating the Wnt signaling pathway that regulates cell proliferation and regeneration, and JW1601, a drug that is extending its indication to age-related macular degeneration and ophthalmologic diseases such as allergic conjunctivitis, etc.. Around 1,500 pharmaceutical and bio companies from 50 countries attend the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference every year. Companies attend the conference to introduce their pipelines and technology to global healthcare companies. Also, participating companies are provided with an opportunity to meet with funds like venture capitals, hedge funds, PFEs, etc.
- Company
- "MET-targeted therapy as a new personalized NSCLC solution"
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Dec 21, 2021 06:05am
- Professor Ji-Youn Han HER2, ALK, EGFR, ROS1, NTRK. These keywords have been frequent visitors in articles on anticancer drugs recently. With the discovery that effective anticancer treatments differ depending on the patient’s genetic mutation status, personalized treatments that target specific genes of each individual are being introduced. And the development of precision medicine has heralded the paradigm shift of cancer treatments to ‘gene-specific treatment’ from ‘diseases-specific treatment.’ Amid rising expectations, the first anticancer treatment that targets the MET gene was newly introduced to Korea. The treatment, Novartis’ ‘Tabrecta (capmatinib),’ was authorized for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET exon 14 deletions. The new introduction of an option in this rare type that occurs in approximately 3-4% of patients with NSCLC is gaining much attention in the medical community. Dailypharm met with Ji-Youn Han, Professor of Hemato-oncology at the National Cancer Center to hear about the use and potential of MET-targeted anticancer therapies and personalized treatment that has been implemented but is yet unfamiliar to the general public. - A treatment that targets the MET mutation has landed in Korea. What significance does the introduction of this new drug bring to the lung cancer treatment paradigm? The MET exon 14 skipping mutation is very rare in lung cancer. Various clinical trials have confirmed that exon 14 skipping mutation is an oncogenic driver mutation of lung cancer. Also, patients who have MET amplification or overexpression have very poor prognoses. In this sense, the approval of Tabrecta, a treatment that demonstrated clear efficacy in MET exon 14 skipping mutation, holds great significance as the prompt introduction of MET inhibitors has become ever important. - Not many patients may be eligible to use the drug. How many will be eligible, in Korea and what other characteristics do eligible patients have? In the West, patients with MET exon 14 skipping mutations account for approximately 3% of all NSCLC patients, In Korea, the reported rate is around 2-3%. One clinical feature of the disease is that it occurs more often in elder patients than younger patients. According to clinical studies, the median age of patients was around 70. -How is the MET diagnosis environment in Korea? Several hospitals have brought in NGS testing devices after NGS-based gene panel tests were applied selective reimbursement in 2017. The MET gene is an important oncogenic driver gene that is included in most NGS panels. However, identification of MET exon 14 skipping mutation is diagnostically difficult and requires further considerations. Also, by genetic mutations, some are more fit for RNA-based NGS tests rather than DNA-based NGS tests. In particular, identifying MET exon 14 skipping mutation through a DNA-based NGS test requires further detailed diagnosis to identify hundreds of mutations that can cause exon 14 skipping mutations. On the other hand, as an RNA-based NGS test can easily discern exon 14 skipping mutations, the RNA-based NGS test may be needed to identify exon 14 skipping mutations. But in practice, RNA-based tests are used less than DNA-based tests. - Commercialization of other MET inhibitors like tepotinib is also imminent. The MET inhibitor tepotinib had differentiated patients according to treatment experience in its clinical design. According to the Phase II GEOMETRY mono-1 trial, patients who used Tabrecta as first-line had shown higher objective response rates (ORR). On the other hand, the response rate was similar in patients using tepotinib regardless of treatment history. The efficacy and safety of the two were comparable in clinical trials. The IC50 value of the two drugs that determine how much of a drug is needed to inhibit cell growth by 50%, was slightly better for Tabrecta. However, most anticancer drugs are best effective in the subject patients when prescribed at the earliest. In particular, not all patients with MET exon 14 skipping mutations who have high PD-L1 expression respond to immunotherapy treatment. Using a combination of immunotherapy-chemotherapy as first-line can increase the financial burden borne by the patients and even be less effective than Tabrecta. This is why some advanced countries like Canada believe it is necessary to thoroughly check for MET exon 14 skipping mutations by using biopsy as well as liquid biopsies in order to reduce patient burden. -Also, studies on the combined use of MET inhibitors and EGFR TKIs are also active. In particular, there are expectations that the MET inhibitors may resolve the resistance issue of 3rd generation EGFR TKIs. Around 10% of the EGFR mutated lung cancers occur due to METs. This is why a smart MET inhibitor partner may be needed to address the acquired resistance to EGFR TKI. There had been a clinical trial that tested the combined use of Tabrecta and EGFR TKI. As it is unclear which causes EGFR mutations in lung cancer - MET amplification or overexpression – the study enrolled both patients. In the trial, a patient with EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation who have experienced primary resistance participated in the trial and reached complete remission (CR). One thing to note is that we do not need to only use 3rd generation EGFR TKIs like ‘Tagrisso (osimertinib)’ when attempting combination therapies. Not only because of the price, but I believe that 1st and 2nd generation EGFR TKIs can also be sufficient partners. Also, a study on Tabrecta+Tagrisso in patients with EGFR resistance is in progress, which medical institutions in Korea are also planning to participate in.
- Company
- Is there a shortage of chickenpox vaccines?
- by Moon, sung-ho Dec 21, 2021 06:05am
- Contrary to the opinions of the medical community, SK Bio and GC Pharma said, "There is no problem in supplying chickenpox vaccines." The shortage of influenza (flu) vaccines in the second half of this year is causing confusion due to concerns that chickenpox vaccines may also be insufficient. Pharmaceutical and bio companies that produce chickenpox vaccines say there is no problem with supply, but there are already opinions that they should prepare for the shortage of vaccines at medical sites centered on related societies. According to the medical and pharmaceutical industries on the 25th, GC Pharma's "Barycela" is currently available for vaccination. There are 'Vari-L Vaccine' by Boranpharma and Sky Varicella by SK Bioscience. Among them, as the government recently declared "With Corona", there are opinions concerned about the increase in the number of people with infectious diseases such as flu and chickenpox at the medical site. Professor Eom Joong-sik (Infectious Medicine) at Gil Hospital said, "According to related data, infectious medicine doctors believe that the rate of wearing masks has definitely fallen. Considering that the flu and chickenpox are often occurring, the amount of contact is increasing." Accordingly, medical scientists and societies are concerned about the shortage of chickenpox vaccines and are preparing for the possible shortage of vaccines through changes in vaccination guidelines internally. There is a sense of crisis due to the fact that they already experienced a shortage of flu vaccines in the second half of the year. Currently, the government is vaccinating chickenpox vaccines free of charge for infants 12 to 15 months old. A KAPID executive said, "GC Pharma has stopped supplying chickenpox boxes and the launch of a next-generation vaccine, an alternative item, is also being delayed. It was originally scheduled to be released last year, but it was postponed to early this year, but we haven't heard of the release plan yet. As a result, we believe there is a possibility that the launch will be delayed further, he hinted. Another KAPID executive said, "In the case of chickenpox, if there is a shortage of vaccines, we are internally sharing the opinion that new, that is, initial vaccinations should be delayed and patients subject to secondary vaccinations should be vaccinated first." He then said, "It hasn't happened yet, so we're preparing for now." He said, "It would be fortunate if SK Bioscience, which accounts for the largest volume, supplies it normally." Pharmaceutical and bio companies that are supplying chickenpox vaccines to Korea say there is no problem at the moment. They say they are overly concerned at the clinical site. GC Pharma explains that it can supply its new product Barycela in earnest from the second half of this year, replacing Suduvax, which has decided to suspend supply. It is true that the plan to start supply in January this year after obtaining product approval in March last year has been delayed due to problems such as prolonged Corona and delayed NIP registration, but it has entered the normalization stage from the second half of the year. An official from GC Pharma said, "After deciding to stop supplying Suduvax, we will be able to supply Barycela, which was developed as a next-generation vaccine, without any problems. As a result of internal confirmation, we believe that the supply is going well enough." SK Bioscience, which accounts for the largest portion of the domestic chickenpox vaccine supply, is in a position that there will be no problem in supplying vaccines like GC Pharma. An official from SK Bioscience said, "As of the third quarter, Sky Varicella's share among chickenpox vaccines in Korea was 43%," and emphasized, "In the case of flu vaccines, there were some difficulties in producing and supplying chickenpox vaccines."
- Company
- Losartan products are about to be withdrawn from the market
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Dec 20, 2021 06:12am
- With the recovery of Losartan with excessively detected impurities, pharmaceutical companies are considering strategies after recovery measures are completed. Many pharmaceutical companies that did not have a very high market share in the Losartan market are reportedly considering gradually withdrawing from the market after the recovery is completed. It is predicted that the pace of market reorganization will accelerate after the recovery measures are completed. According to the pharmaceutical industry on the 20th, a large Korean pharmaceutical company A is discussing ways to stop selling the product line after the recovery of Losartan is completed. Company A has five Losartan items, and some or all of these products are subject to collection. According to UBIST, a pharmaceutical market research firm, the amount of outpatient prescriptions for company A's five Losartan items last year was more than 7 billion won. It is confirmed that more than 5 billion won was prescribed cumulatively by the third quarter of this year. The pharmaceutical industry interprets the reason why Company A is considering withdrawing the market as to resolve uncertainties. Since NDMA impurities were first discovered in Valsartan in 2018, the pharmaceutical industry has struggled with the impurity crisis every year. In particular, since all impurity incidents occurred in unexpected situations, it was difficult for companies as sales suspension and recovery were repeated after detecting impurities. Moreover, in the case of Company A, it is considered the background of considering withdrawal from the market since it has various ARB drugs such as Telmisartan, Candesartan, Valsartan and and Irbesartan. An official from Company A said, "Nothing has been accurately decided yet. Losartan's prescription performance is not bad, but other ARB-based drugs are larger in terms of the total amount of prescription," he said. The pharmaceutical industry predicts that pharmaceutical companies, including Company A, will withdraw from the market after the recovery of the Losartan hypertension treatment is completed. As of last year, the amount of outpatient prescriptions in the hypertension treatment market, including Losartan, was 320.8 billion won, with two companies, Hanmi and Organon accounting for more than half (53.9%). Hanmi's five types of Losartan recorded 122.4 billion won in prescriptions last year, accounting for 38.1% of the market share. Organon accounts for 15.8%. It was followed by 3.9% per Chong Kun Dang, 3.0% of SK Chemicals, 2.9% of Samik, 2.4% of Kyung Dong, 2.2% of HK inno.N, and 2.0% of Daewoong Bio. In addition, 91 companies are competing for the remaining 27.5%. Most pharmaceutical companies' annual prescriptions are less than 500 million won. The MFDS announced on the 7th that all or some manufacturing number products of 295 items from 98 companies that were detected or feared to exceed the daily intake allowance will be voluntarily recovered. The pharmaceutical industry is in the process of recovering the product.
- Company
- EMA designated Hanmi's HM15211 as ODD
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Dec 20, 2021 06:12am
- Hanmi Pharmaceutical's LAPSTriple Agonist, HM15211 announced on the 17th that it has been designated as ODD by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). According to Hanmi Pharmaceutical, EMA recently designated it as ODD for the treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis, PSC. The LAPSTriple Agonist has previously been designated as ODD by the FDA. It was designated as a rare drug in March last year, and was once again designated as ODD in May this year. With this designation, LAPSTriple Agonist has become a new drug that has received a total of four rare drug designations, including three from the FDA and one from the EMA. Including this, Hanmi Pharmaceutical will hold a total of 18 ODD designated records (9 FDA cases, 6 EMA cases, and 3 MFDS cases) with 10 indications from 6 pipelines. At this point, it is the highest record among domestic pharmaceutical companies. LAPSTriple Agonist is a triple agonist that acts as a simultaneous activation of GLP-1 receptors, glucagon receptors, and GIP receptors. Based on multiple pharmacological effects, it is expected that excessive accumulation of bile acids in the liver will be reduced and liver inflammation and fibrosis will be suppressed to dramatically improve the quality of life of patients. Hanmi Pharmaceutical confirmed the effects of LAPSTriple Agonist on reducing bile acid accumulation and anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic progressive bile identity liver disease caused by unknown intrahepatic biliary tract inflammation and fibrosis. The FDA and the EMA's designation of ODD is a system that supports the smooth development and permission of treatments for rare and intractable diseases or life-threatening diseases. In Europe, the cost of applying for permission will be reduced, and various benefits such as exclusive rights for 10 years will be granted when approving the first marketing permit among products of the same affiliate.
- Company
- Myung In’s Parkinson’s Tx demonstrates efficacy
- by Dec 20, 2021 06:12am
- A Parkinson’s disease treatment that Myung In Pharm has acquired an exclusive licensing agreement from an Israeli pharmaceutical company - 'P2B001 (Fixed-dose combination of pramipexole+rasagiline)’ – has demonstrated its safety and efficacy at a global Phase III clinical trial. According to the topline results announced by the Israeli pharmaceutical company Pharma Two B Ltd. (P2B), P2B001 successfully met its primary and key secondary endpoints and demonstrated statistically significant benefit over existing treatments. A total of 544 patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease in 70 centers in the US, Europe, and Canada were randomized to four treatment arms: P2B001 (pramipexole 0.6mg + rasagiline 0.75mg combination); pramipexole ER capsule (pramipexole 0.6 mg); rasagiline ER capsule (rasagiline 0.75mg); and the currently marketed pramipexole ER capsules titrated to an optimal dose for each individual. Patients in each treatment arm were administered their respective dose once a day for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the change in the total Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS, defined as the sum of parts II and III) for P2B001 as compared to each of its components over 12 weeks. Results showed that P2B001 improved the total UPDRS score by 2.66 points compared to the pramipexole 0.6mg-treated arm (p=0.0018) and by 3.30 points compared to the rasagiline-treated arm (p=0.0001). Also, P2B001 showed significant improvement over its comparators in the secondary endpoint, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score. From a safety prospect, P2B001 significantly reduced adverse events including sleepiness and orthostatic hypotension compared to the pramipexole ER capsule. The company explained that the trial results support the use of P2B001 as first-line treatment in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease, once a day, without the need for titration. Hang Myung Lee, CEO/President of Myung In Pharm, said, “With the Phase III clinical trial results, we have now secured data that P2B001 has superior efficacy and a more significant safety profile over each of its individual components as well as the currently marketed pramipexole ER capsules. We believe that P2B001 could become an important new option when considering the long-term care plan that needs to be set for early-stage Parkinson's disease and the superior efficacy demonstrated in the trial.” P2B plans to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA next year. Myung In Pharm also plans to apply for marketing authorization of P2B001 to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2022 and release the drug in Korea in 2023. Myung In Pharm had acquired the exclusive license for the commercialization of P2B001 in Korea through an equity investment in P2B in November this year.
- Company
- Expectations rise for Lilly’s Alzheimer drug
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Dec 20, 2021 06:11am
- Expectations have been rising for the commercialization of Lilly’s new drug candidate for Alzheimer’s. On the 15th (local time), Eli Lilly announced that it will complete filing for approval of its new Alzheimer’s candidate ‘donanemab’ within the first quarter of 2022. The news was announced at an investor meeting while introducing plans for five new drugs that will be launched within the next two years. Lilly had previously said that an application for approval of donanemab would be made sometime next year. if Lilly’s donanemab is approved, the addition of donanemab to the market following Biogen’s accelerated approval of Aduhelm in June is expected to intensify competition. Although the information available on donanemab is limited, a head-to-head study against Aduhelm is ongoing, and initial data from the study is expected to roll out in the second half of next year. Based on the initial data from a Phase II trial announced earlier this year, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for donanemab in June. Results of Lilly’s Phase II TRAILBLAZER-ALZ trial on donanemab is a monoclonal antibody that targets a modified form of beta-amyloid called N3pG that was released in July demonstrated that the reduced beta-amyloid deposits slowed the decline of cognitive function in Alzheimer patients. Donanemab Patients with early symptoms of Alzheimer’s who were administered donanemab in the trial showed a rapid reduction in amyloid plaque at 24 weeks and showed the most rapid amyloid plaque removal in patients who had the most severe plaque burden at baseline. At the meeting, Lilly also announced its release plans for its antidiabetic tirzepatide, mantle cell lymphoma treatment pirtobrutinib, ulcerative colitis treatment mirikizumab, and atopic dermatitis treatment lebrikizumab.
- Company
- Ildong signed for Nexium worth ₩50 billion
- by Dec 20, 2021 06:11am
- AstraZeneca Korea announced on the 14th that it has signed a partnership contract with Ildong for gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment "Nexium (Esomeprazole)" and type 2 diabetes treatment "Qtern (Dapagliflozin/Saxagliptin Monohydrate)." Through this, Ildong Pharmaceutical will jointly sell Nexium and Qtern with AstraZeneca Korea from January 1 next year. In 2014, the two companies promoted Onglyza and Komblyze XR (Metformin HCl/Saxaglipin Monohydrate). Ildong Pharmaceutical has succeeded in marketing H2 receptor antagonists, PPI drugs, and functional dyspepsia treatments. Ildong Pharmaceutical plans to grow Nexium into an item with annual sales of more than 50 billion won in the future. Last year, Nexium's domestic sales were estimated at about 49.4 billion won. Nexium was jointly sold by Daewoong Pharmaceutical, and the contract ends on December 31. Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to focus on selling its own P-CAB-based gastroesophageal reflux disease treatments Fexuprazan and Nexium. Kim Sang-pyo, CEO of AstraZeneca Korea, said, "We are happy that the two companies, which have been maximizing each other's strengths in the diabetes treatment field for the past eight years, are seeking opportunities for a new leap forward in the digestive field." He said, "We hope to provide differentiated treatment benefits of 'Nexium' and 'Qtern' to more medical staff and patients." Yoon Woong-seop, vice chairman of Ildong Pharmaceutical, said, "We are looking forward to strengthening our partnership with AstraZeneca Korea through Nexium and Qtern following Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR." He said, "We plan to do our best not only for the health of patients but also for the smooth medical activities of medical staff, but also to create synergy between the two companies and expand market performance."
