Local pharmaceutical companies are striving to find a niche market by changing the formulations of existing drugs, such as switching over from injections to oral formulations, or from tablets to patches.
Dongkook Pharmaceutical recently adopted a liquid compound technology for osteoporosis treatment from the Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA).
GBSA developed the liquid technology after discovering that some osteoporosis patients found it difficult to swallow tablets or capsules.
If the drugmaker commercializes a product, the drug compliance of patients with dysphagia and elderly patients will improve.
Celltrion is expected to release Remsima SC, a subcutaneous formulation of biosimilar drug Remsima, for the first time in the world.
Remsima, referencing Janssen’s rheumatoid arthritis treatment Remicade, is an intravenous injection. Celltrion aims to relieve patient inconvenience of visiting a hospital to get an injection, by offering Remsima SC.
Remsima SC allows patients to administer the drug themselves at home. The new formulation is expected to compete against the rival therapy Enbrel by Amgen.
Celltrion said the company nearly completed the phase-3 trial on Remsima SC, adding that it would seek regulatory approval in Europe in the second half.
Other pharmaceuticals are active in changing formulations of dementia drugs because dementia patients have difficulty taking the medication at the right time.
Patches versions are drawing attention in the dementia treatment market. Dementia medicines require regular, daily intakes but such task can be challenging for patients with the disease.
The demand for patchable dementia treatments has been rising.
Icure Pharm, Boryung Pharmaceutical, and Daewoong Pharmaceutical are working on patch-types of dementia treatments.
Their goal is to develop dementia treatment patches that can be active for a week or a month.
“Except for several diseases, drug reformulation does not always lead to jackpots. It is rather to find a niche,” said an official at a drug firm’s development team. “Changing the formulation can make the drug distinct and target a certain group of patients. This is why drugmakers are rushing to do it.”