Handok said Tuesday that it has signed a local sales agreement with Amicus Therapeutics, a U.S. pharmaceutical company, to market the latter’s Fabry disease treatment, Galafold.

Galafold (Ingredient: migalastat) is the world's first and only oral Fabry disease treatment available for Fabry disease patients with amenable mutations.

Fabry disease is a rare disease caused by a deficiency of an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase A. The lack of the enzyme leads to the accumulation of other glycolipids, resulting in a decrease in the function of various cells in the body. The disease can cause serious complications such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney failure, and even death.

It is now available in the U.S, EU, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Japan. In Korea, the treatment received sales approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2017 after winning orphan drug status. The therapy has also got insurance benefits starting this month.

“The company is excited to introduce a new treatment option and innovative new medicine Galafold,” Handok CEO Kim Young-jin said. “We will do our best to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from Fabry disease with the world's first and only oral treatment.”

Amicus Therapeutics President Bradley L. Campbell also said, “We are delighted to be able to offer another treatment option to Korean Fabry disease patients with adaptive mutations through our partnership with Handok. Galafold is the only oral Fabry disease treatment that has the mechanism to restore the activity of alpha-galactosidase A in patients with Fabry disease with adaptive mutations.”

The treatment, which should be taken daily, is also easy to carry, Campbell added.