The market for eye disease therapies is becoming hotter as fine dust pollution continues in Korea.

The sales of eye disease therapies rose from 341 billion won ($318.4 million) in 2015 to 384.9 billion won in 2016 to 424.2 billion won last year, according to pharmaceutical distribution data IQVIA.

Sales of eye drops rose most notably.

The top 10 eye drops regarding sales last year were New Hyalyuni Eye Drops, Tearin Eye Drop, Hyaluron Eye Drops, Qalone Eye Drops, Prosan Eye Drops, Kynex 3 Eye Drops, Hamerone Eye Drops, Diquas-S Eye Drops, Restasis eye drops, and Diquas Eye Drops.

Diquas-S, which won approval in November 2016 and began production on the consignment manufacturing basis by Huons, also landed in the top 10 list in the first year of its launch.

The combined total sales of the top 10 eye drops were 94.56 billion won ($88.5 million) last year, marking a 5 billion won, or 5.64 percent, increase from 89.5 billion won in the previous year.

Eye drop products that sold the most in 2016 were, in descending order, Tearin Eye Drop, Hyaluron Eye Drops, New Hyalyuni Eye Drops, Kainix 2 Eye Drops, Diquas Eye Drops, Qalone Eye Drops, Kynex 3 Eye Drops, Restasis eye drops, Hamerone Eye Drops, and Prosan Eye Drops.

Meanwhile, therapies related to the respiratory system also attracted attention due to the fine dust pollution.

Yungjin Pharmaceutical drew attention as the development of its chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) therapy YPL-001 led it to become classified as a fine dust theme stock.

According to the Korea Drug Development Fund, the company is inviting patients for a phase 2 trial for YPL-001. Yungjin had conducted a phase 1 single dose-increasing test and a phase 1 repeated dose-increasing test in the U.S., having completed the food effect and gained approval for a phase 2 trial.

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