Hanmi Pharmaceutical has obtained approval to test a combination therapy of four medicines, the first of its kind, to treat hypertension and hyperlipidemia.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Tuesday gave the nod to the drugmaker’s plan to carry out a phase-1 clinical trial on the agent called “HCP1701.”

The study will evaluate pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic interactions and safety in combination with HGP0904, HGP0608, and HCP1306 in healthy male adults. HGP0904 is hypertension agent amlodipine 5mg, HGP0608, hypertension therapy losartan 100 100mg, and HCP1306, a combo of rosuvastatin and ezetimibe (10/20mg).

In other words, the drugmaker is developing a new drug by combining its incrementally modified drug (IMD) Rosuzet, a hyperlipidemia combo, with amlodipine and losartan.

In recent years, developing a combo drug of two or more ingredients for chronic disease treatment has become popular. Typical chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes require additional therapies if symptoms do not improve with a first-line treatment.

Pharmaceutical companies have developed a combination of two or more drugs by treatment group. The demand for combos is also rising because of the user convenience. Depending on which ingredients are combined, a combo drug can be recognized as an IMD from the food and drug safety ministry.

Combinations of hypertensive and hyperlipidemia treatments, diabetes and hypertension remedies, and diabetes and hyperlipidemia drugs are available in the market.