Boryung Pharmaceuticals_보령제약 said Wednesday it has signed a licensing agreement with PharmaMar, a Spanish pharmaceutical company, for Zepsyre (ingredient name: lurbinectedin), a treatment for platinum therapy resistant ovarian cancer.

Boryung Pharma has exclusive rights to develop and sell Zepsyre in Korea through this contract.

The drug is currently undergoing phase 3 clinical trials for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and small cell lung cancer indications. Also, BRCA2 (abbreviation of Breast Cancer gene BRCA1 and BRCA2), which is known to affect the induction of breast cancer in humans, will soon be commencing phase 2 and phase 3 clinical trials for metastatic breast cancer and endometrial cancer, respectively.

Zepsyre is known for its excellent effects on solid cancer compared to conventional anticancer drugs through clinical trials, and its anticancer side effects (hair loss, hematologic side effects, septic toxicity, and stomatitis) are low. Also, a new mechanism (induction of apoptosis through DNA breakdown) can be used with conventional anticancer drugs, and various combinations of treatments for solid tumor indications are ongoing.

"By signing an additional license agreement with PharmaMar, we are building a stronger partnership," said Choi Tae-hong_최태홍, CEO of Boryung Pharma. "As a leading pharmaceutical company in Korea, we will work with our global partners to improve cancer treatment outcomes and provide patients with hope for a cure."

Luis Mora, managing director of PharmaMar, also expressed his enthusiasm. "We are delighted that we have entered into a second strategic alliance with Boryung for the commercialization of anticancer drugs based on ingredients derived from marine natural products,”

He added, “I am pleased to see that Zepsyre, with its excellent clinical value, will be prescribed to Korean patients soon after treatment with excellent anti-cancer drug sales and marketing.”