Organon Korea said Wednesday that the company would do its best to address unmet needs for women's health during their entire lifespans, such as contraception, infertility, pregnancy and childbirth, and menopause.
"There is a relatively high unmet need in diseases related to women's entire life cycle," Organon Korea CEO Kim So-eun said during a news conference, the first since the company's official launch. "Organon will focus on improving access to treatment so that all women can enjoy a healthier life."
Kim added that the company would expand its portfolio by identifying women's health needs in their life cycle, such as pregnancy and childbirth.
Organon has aggressively expanded its portfolio in the women's health sector. In June of last year, the company acquired Alydia Health, a medical device company for women's health that developed the JADA system, a postpartum bleeding solution, and signed a global license agreement with OBsEva for its premature birth treatment solution in July.
In December, Organon acquired Forendo Pharmaceutical, a Finnish pharmaceutical company with pipelines in treating endocrinology, including endometriosis.
"We are working to commercialize the company's postpartum hemorrhage solutions and endocrine treatments outside the U.S., and we will make sure that new solutions are available as soon as possible," CEO Kim said.
She noted that while the company aspires to become a leader in women's health, most of its revenue still comes from its robust chronic disease treatment.
Organon Korea has a diverse portfolio in the field of chronic diseases, including Atozet and Vytorin for dyslipidemia, Cozaar lineup for high blood pressure, Singulair for allergic rhinitis and asthma, Arcoxia and Fosamax for the musculoskeletal system, Livial and Proscar for genital and urinary, and Propecia, a hair loss treatment.
Kim stressed that the company plans to find a way to balance the portfolio that currently generates sales along with the vision of women's health.
"Organon Korea's ambition is to increase the contribution of women's health based on trust in the field of chronic diseases," Kim said. "As the portfolio composition of each country is different, and the opportunities that come with it vary, we plan to seek out fields that can contribute to Korea actively."
The company also released a survey result during the media event, presenting Korean women's thoughts on women's health, including contraception, infertility, pregnancy and childbirth, and menopause.
In the survey, 81 percent of women mentioned life cycle factors due to body changes such as childbirth and menopause as factors that impede their health, which was a much higher result than everyday environmental factors. It also showed that Korean women expressed deep concerns about physical changes, economic burdens, and practical difficulties like childcare during pregnancy and childbirth.
In the case of contraception, responses and comments about feeling anxious during contraception were overwhelmingly high. Still, most participants responded that they used the current contraceptive method because it was more simple than safe.
In the case of infertility and menopause, there were physical difficulties, but emotional difficulties were greater, and the data showed a need for more active emotional care.
"Women's health should be approached from a life cycle perspective, and women's physical change symptoms and emotional care should be harmoniously managed," said Pyo Ji-hyun, Organon Korea’s external affairs lead. "Therefore, there is a need for diverse interests and support from various members of society such as medical staff, families, and society."
Organon Korea also designated "International Women's Day" on March 8 as an official company holiday to provide time to focus on and take care of one's health.
Organon is a global healthcare company launched in June 2021 as a spin-off from MSD.
Headquartered in New Jersey, the U.S., the company has six overseas manufacturing facilities and subsidiaries in more than 60 countries, supplying more than 60 medicines and products to 140 countries in three areas -- women's health, biosimilars, and chronic diseases.