Yuhan Corp. has registered the patent of Esopid Tab. (esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate/calcium carbonate), a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), to block the entry of latecomers and counter rivals in the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) plus antacid combination therapy market.
Industry sources said on Wednesday Yuhan won a patent on Esopid Tab. 20/600㎎ and Esopid Tab. 40/600㎎ and registered it on the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s list of patented drugs on Tuesday.
The patient holders are Yuhan and Addpharma, and the patent expires on Sept. 4, 2040.
The patent is titled, “A pharmaceutical composition in a tablet form comprising omeprazole, esomeprazole or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a process for preparing the same.”
Yuhan said the patent on the composition of the tablet could avoid the coating process of granules or pellets during manufacturing and makes the production process simple.
It can be easily applied at the manufacturing site, and the rapid disintegration of the drug allows quick absorption of the drug, the company said.
Also, calcium carbonate included in the drug exhibits a high antacid power (acid neutralization power) which can induce a rapid pH increase and minimize the use of calcium carbonate to reduce the size of the tablet, the company added.
Yuhan released Esopid Tab., the PPI+antacid combo drug, in May.
Yuhan co-developed the GERD treatment with GC Pharma and Kyungdong Pharm, and the three companies obtained the marketing license on the same day in February, respectively.
GC Pharma’s drug is named Esoca Tab. and Kyungdong’s Esocarbo Tab.
The three products are manufactured at Yuhan’s plant in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province.
The local PPI+antacid market started to grow in 2018 when Chong Kun Dang rolled out Eso Duo Tab. (esomeprazole magnesium trihydrate).
In October, Hanmi obtained approval for Esomezol Plus, which added magnesium hydroxide to Esomesol, an incrementally modified drug to treat GERD. This was expected to heat the competition in the PPI+antacid combo market.
Korean drugmakers seek uniqueness in PPI+antacid drugs to compete against AstraZeneca’s Nexium Tab. (esomeprazole magnesium).
Outpatient prescriptions of Chong Kun Dang’s Eso Duo Tab. recorded 13.9 billion won ($11.7 million) last year, showing the growth potential of the combo treatment market.
“In the fiercely competitive PPI market, each drugmaker is trying to offer various treatment options using segmented product portfolios,” an industry official said.