As drinkable liquid formulation dementia treatments have won domestic approval, attention is drawn to what effects they will have on the market, industry insiders said Thursday.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recently approved Genuone Sciences’ Keicept 5 mg (ingredient: donepezil hydrochloride) and Keicept 10 mg,

Donepezil is an anticholinesterase used to treat Alzheimer’s-type dementia symptoms, also known as a drug to improve brain function. The Aricept tablet developed by Eisai is its most common product.

Donepezil treatments have been released in various forms, such as orally disintegrating films and transdermal absorbents (patches). However, liquid medicine has been developed and approved for the first time in the nation.

“Considering that older adults mainly use donepezil treatments, this will offer a good dosing option for aged patients with dysphagia problems,” a Genuone Sciences official said. “Liquid medicines are easy to swallow, posing few problems for patients with dysphagia difficulty. We also have masked the bitter taste of the drug to help patients take it without resistance.”

According to market surveyor Ubist, Korea’s outpatient subscription market for Alzheimer’s dementia treatment was estimated at 290 billion won ($223 million) in 2020, and treatments based on donepezil ingredients accounted for about 80 percent, with 230 billion won.

The domestic Alzheimer’s dementia therapy market is expected to grow 8.6 percent annually to about 360 billion won in 2025.

Genuone Sciences will not release the drug as its product but will only manufacture it and entrust sales to three companies – Daewoong Bio, JW Shinyak, and Sinsin Pharm.

Meanwhile, according to industry sources, Donerion Patch, which approved the ministry’s approval last year-end, will also enter the market in earnest next month.

Donerion Patch is the world’s first patch-type dementia treatment based on donepezil jointly developed by Celltrion and Icure, and its insurance-covered drug price is 6,076 won per sheet.