SK Chemical said Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Janssen Korea to co-promote the latter’s dementia treatment Reminyl.

SK Chemical CEO Jeon Kwang-hyun (right) and Managing Director of Janssen Korea Jenny Zheng signed an agreement on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, SK Chemical will be responsible for domestic marketing, distribution, and sales of Reminyl, while and Janssen Korea will be in charge of producing the drug.

Reminyl is a capsule form therapeutic drug with indications for treating Alzheimer's disease and moderate dementia symptoms. The drug is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) that enhances cognitive function by inhibiting the degradation of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter of brain neurons.

Unlike competitive products that only inhibit acetylcholine degradation, Reminyl acts on the nicotine receptor in the brain to increase the secretion of acetylcholine. Also, it lowers the possibility of sleep disorders, which is a significant side effect of dementia treatment.

With the acquisition of Reminyl, SK Chemical has acquired all three AChEI, including Wondron patch and Aldigm OD, out in the local market.

According to UBIST, a drug market research company, the domestic AChEI market reached about 200 billion won ($177.9 million) last year, accounting for the most significant portion of the dementia treatment market.

“In addition to conventional Wondron patches and Aldigm OD, the company has broadened the range of formulations available to patients with the co-promotion agreement for Reminyl with Janssen Korea,” SK Chemical CEO Jeon Kwang-hyun said. “We will present various solutions to domestic dementia patients that are rapidly expanding due to the aging population.”

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