Daewoong Pharmaceutical has released its influenza treatment Tamivict with “improved patient convenience,” the company said Wednesday.

The market size of flu drugs had grown to 70 billion won ($61.8 million) last year, and the drugs are likely to have constant demand because of newly affected patients each year, according to IMS Health.

Competition in the market will also grow as the final patent on chemical composition expired Wednesday. The original patent expired in February last year. The newly released drug will also be cheaper than the original, the company said.

Daewoong_대웅제약 also said Tamivict (ingredient: oseltamivir phosphate) would be easier to take for children with the removal of bitter taste commonly found in the therapy.

Daewoong will be able to provide a steady supply of the drug, having the in-house technology to develop the product from raw material synthesis. Its supply system has proved safe through strict good manufacturing practice (GMP) production maintenance systems, the company said. The influenza market faced drug shortages due to an unstable supply during flu seasons, it added.

“Daewoong’s launch of Tamivict has increased patients’ access to influenza medications in a market that faced supply shortages during flu seasons,” a company official said. “We expect the drug, made with pure materials and strict GMP product maintenance systems, will significantly help patients with the H1N1 flu virus.”