Chong Kun Dang said it has obtained approval for Raparobell, a generic copy of Pfizer’s immunosuppressive agent Rapamune (ingredient: sirolimus), from the Ministry of Food and Drugs Safety.Sirolimus is an immunosuppressive drug to prevent organ rejection in kidney transplant patients aged 13 or more. Renal transplantation is the last treatment for those who lost kidney functions due to diabeti
Local pharmaceutical companies are rushing to establish subsidiaries in the United States to speed up their sales activities in the world’s largest market.According to industry sources, GC, Yuhan Corp., and Samyang Biopharmaceuticals either have established a U.S. unit or are preparing to do so.Seeking stronger global sales power, GC set up CUREVO in Seattle, Wash., in May. CUREVO is geari
The group of Korean pharmacists and that of convenience store owners are slamming each other over the government’s plan to expand the list of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs at convenience stores.After the Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) announced its opposition to the government’s scheme and warned of OTC drug abuse, the Korea Association of Convenience Stores (KACS) released a rebuttal
Industry watchers are paying attention to whether rising sales of generic drugs will threaten original product Aricept in the dementia-treating donepezil market.According to U-BIST data, combined sales of donepezil drugs rose to 60.1 billion won ($53.6 million) in the first half, up 14.5 percent from 52.5 billion won a year earlier.With the market growing, sales of generic medicines also e
The osteoporosis treatment market is stagnating with sales of major products declining in the first half of this year, industry data showed Tuesday. However, combination therapies achieved revenue growth.According to outpatient prescriptions data from U-BIST, the total sales of osteoporosis treatments went down to 28.5 billion won ($25.5 million) in the first half, declining 9.4 percent from 3
Korean biotech firms SillaJen and Medytox said they have almost completed preparations to enter the Chinese pharmaceutical market, estimated to be around 20 trillion won ($17.8 billion).Industry watchers are paying attention to whether the two drugmakers can benefit from securing the large market ahead of their rivals.SillaJen is stepping up efforts to conduct a final stage clinical trial
Despite the hot weather with daytime highs exceeding 37 degrees Celsius across the nation, thousands of pharmacists took to the street to thwart the sales of over-the-counter (OTC) drugs at convenience stores and demand public night-time pharmacies.The Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) held the rally in Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul, Sunday, to criticize the government’s scheme to mak
The growth of erectile dysfunction medicines is slowing, with the sales of impotence drugs remaining stagnant and original treatments suffering a rapid sales decline.According to data from IQVIA, the combined sales of erectile dysfunction drugs fell to 57.7 billion won ($51.5 million) in the first half of this year, down 3.6 percent from 59.8 billion won a year earlier.Original blockbuster
Locally developed new drugs showed mixed performances in prescriptions in the first half.According to data on 14 new domestic drugs analyzed by U-BIST, a pharmaceutical market researcher, novel drugs targeting chronic diseases such as diabetes sold well, while anticancer remedies did not.The total prescriptions of the 14 drugs amounted to 108.2 billion won ($95.2 million) in the first half
The local biotech industry is struggling with negative rumors on leading firms, not long after Samsung BioLogics’ accounting issues dealt a massive blow to the whole sector.Rumors are circulating that SillaJen may suspend clinical trials on Pexa-Vec after several senior executives, including Vice President Ji Sung-kwon, left the company. Aware of the rumors, SillaJen released a statement o
Daiichi Sankyo’s Lixiana, a latecomer in the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), is accelerating its chase after BMS’ Eliquis. The local NOAC market is expanding as NOACs are considered as next-generation anticoagulants to replace warfarin products.According to data from U-BIST, a pharmaceutical market researcher, all of the top four anticoagulants were NOACs in the first half
Bifido said it has become the first domestic company to win a patent for a microbiome-using treatment in the U.S.The company has been developing a therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using intestinal microbiome, jointly with Catholic University Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital since 2017.Based on the joint study, the company obtained a local patent for “Pharmabiotics composition targeting rheum
Kolon Life Science said Wednesday it has signed a deal to sell 230 billion won ($203 million) worth of Invossa to China Life Medical Center and Hainan Province for five years. Invossa is a cell gene therapy that treats degenerative arthritis.The contract gives China Life the exclusive rights to seeking the local regulatory approval, distributing and marketing the product in the Chinese island
The sales of Dong-A ST’s Jublia, a toenail fungal treatment, has grown rapidly to lead the domestic market.According to UBIST data, Jublia topped the athlete’s foot prescriptions between April and June, selling 3.52 billion won ($3.11 million). Jublia’s sales dwarfed those of over-the-counter remedies and took the No. 1 place.The second place went to Galderma’s Loceryl, which sold 951
Korean eye drops made by Huons, Sam Chun Dang Pharm, and Hanlim Pharm are increasingly winning orders in the global market. Huons recently signed a deal with DMI Pharmaceutical, a pharmaceutical distribution firm for the Commonwealth of Independent States, to export its dry eye treatment Clacier.In January, the company obtained approval from China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for a
The Korean government’s drug insurance benefit and review system is so outdated that it fails to support the active development of locally made cell therapies, industry watchers said Monday.Cell therapies have similar efficacy with conventional chemical medicines and biological drugs but go through different procedures in research and development.Cell therapy makers said their products are
A new hypertension drug Edarbi by Takeda Pharmaceuticals Korea and Dong-A ST, and anti-obesity injection Saxenda by Novo Nordisk Pharma Korea have begun to be accessible in major hospitals in Korea.Edarbi recently passed the review of the Samsung Medical Center’s drug committee, following that of the Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH).The antihypertensive medication is also expe
Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies keep challenging to develop neurology medicines, which has been a difficult task even for multinational drugmakers.Medifron DBT, Dong-A ST, Medipost, Boryung Pharmaceutical, Ildong Pharmaceutical, Daewoong Pharmaceutical, SK Chemicals, and SK Biopharmaceuticals are working on treatments in neurology disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.Some of t
Major pharmaceutical firms such as Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Green Cross Lab Cell, and Pharmicell are stepping up their efforts to use platform technologies to develop new drugs.Through platform technologies, the companies either discover new drug candidates or change usage or dosage to develop incrementally modified drugs (IMD).Hanmi Pharm has been actively making use of platform technologies
SillaJen is rolling up its sleeves to develop a biomarker for an investigational immunotherapy JX-970, sources said Tuesday.The biotech firm is planning to conduct a phase-1 clinical trial in the first half of next year at the latest, they said.Biomarkers indicate changes in the body, using proteins, DNA, RNA, and metabolites. They are now used to diagnose severe or incurable diseases such