Samjin Pharmaceutical said Wednesday that it has signed a business agreement with Mundipharma Korea on the adhesive painkiller Norspan patch.

Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly conduct sales and marketing for the entire distribution channel, including general hospitals, quasi-general hospitals, and clinics in Korea, starting this month.

Norpan patch, a buprenorphine-based pain reliever, is used to ease moderate to severe chronic pain that does not respond to non-narcotic analgesics. It is also indicated for osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain that does not respond to maximum doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and requires narcotic analgesics.

The transdermal formulation of the Norspan patch is absorbed directly into the blood upon application. It does not undergo liver metabolism, so there are no digestive side effects, and once-a-week application provides continuous pain control for a week.

Samjin Pharmaceutical has a product lineup in the pain treatment market, including the antipyretic analgesic Geworin series and specialty drugs, multi-component antipyretic anti-inflammatory analgesic Synerjet, and neuropathic pain treatment Neurocover-PG. Through this agreement, Samjin Pharmaceutical will add an opioid in a deodorant formulation to its existing product lineup, providing various treatment options for pain management.

Norspan patches generated about 10 billion won ($7.2 million) in domestic sales last year.

"With this business agreement with Mundipharma Korea, we can offer treatment options in the pain treatment market," a Samjin Pharmaceutical official said. "We will strive to grow this product as a key item based on the know-how we have accumulated in the painkiller market and contribute to improving patients' quality of life.