CJ HealthCare’s K-Cab Tab., the nation’s 30th novel drug, recorded over 10 billion won ($8.2 million) outpatient prescription sales this year, becoming a blockbuster drug in just five months of the market release.

According to UBIST data, accumulated sales of K-Cab, a treatment for the gastroesophageal reflux disease, reached 10.2 billion won in the first seven months of the year. If the momentum continues, the drug could sell up to 20 billion won a year, observers said.

In March when K-Cab arrived in the market, it sold 1.5 billion won. From April to July, its monthly sales posted 2.2 billion won, 2.4 billion won, 1.9 billion won, and 2.1 billion won, respectively. Quickly penetrating the market, K-Cab became the sixth domestic novel drug to become a blockbuster medicine.

The five locally developed blockbuster new drugs with annual sales exceeding 10 billion won as of last year were Boryung Pharmaceutical’s Kanarb, LG Chem’s Zemiglo, Il-yang Pharmaceutical’s Noltec, Chong Kun Dang’s Duvie, and Daewon Pharmaceutical’s Pelubi.

As a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), K-Cab drew much attention as a new class drug to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease. Its advantages include fast action, inhibition of gastric acid secretion at night, and convenience regardless of meals, compared to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) class drugs.

As K-Cab became the first P-CAB drug in the world to obtain an indication for both erosive and non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease, CJ HealthCare is aggressively seeking to expand K-Cab targets.

Last month, the company expanded the drug’s indication to treat stomach ulcer. The company is also working on a trial to eradicate helicobacter pylori in the stomach.