CJ Healthcare said Monday it has submitted new drug application with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for their gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) treatment Tegoprazan.

Tegoprazan, a new class of gastric acid secretion inhibitor, called potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), will be the company’s first novel drug.

The drug has advantages of long-acting efficacy, no need for meals, drug interaction and strong inhibition of excessive gastric secretions at night.

The company hopes that the new drug will grow as a replacement for the proton pump inhibitors (PPI) treatment, which currently dominates the GERD market, valued about 350 billion won ($309 million).

Tegoprazan is also set to enter the Chinese market for anti-ulcer, which has a market value of 3 trillion won, by signing a technology export contract worth 100 billion won with Luoshin, one of the leading pharmaceutical companies in China, in 2015.

CJ Healthcare CJ헬스케어 has actively invested in the R&D since Kang Seok-hee 강석희 returned as its CEO in 2015.

The company has strengthened new drug pipelines and made efforts to develop innovative new medicines through open innovation.

Other drugs being developed by CJ Healthcare includes irritable colon syndrome therapy CJ-14199, rheumatoid arthritis therapy CJ-15314, anemia therapy CJ-40001, foot-and–mouth disease therapy CJ-40010 and eyes disease therapy CJ-40012.

CJ Healthcare is set to launch the drug in December 2018 after it completes the approval process, a company official said.

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