HK inno.N said Thursday that it has launched its drug for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), K-CAB (tegoprazan), in six additional Latin American countries -- the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia.

In September, K-CAB won approval for sale in these countries under the brand name "Ki-CAB."

K-CAB currently has technology export or finished product export contracts with 18 countries in Latin America. Following the launch in Mexico and Peru last year and in Chile in the second half of this year, K-CAB is now sold in nine Latin American countries, including these six additional countries.

Carnot, HK inno.N’s local partner in charge of exporting to 17 Latin American countries excluding Brazil, has been promoting the product through conferences for local medical professionals. In October, it organized a symposium in Bogota, Colombia.

“Within a year of its launch in Mexico, K-CAB has entered the top three of the peptic ulcer medication market, with a market share of nearly 10 percent,” a Carnot official said. “We are also seeing great expectations from doctors in Latin American countries where the product has not yet been launched.”

HK inno.N CEO Kwak Dal-won said, “We are pleased to see that K-CAB has quickly gained prominence in the Latin American market, and we will strive to expand beyond Latin America to promote the value of domestic drugs in the global peptic ulcer market.”

K-CAB is a P-CAB-based GERD treatment that works within one hour of ingestion and can be taken for up to six months. The Mexican Society of Gastroenterology recently recommended P-CABs as an initial treatment for GERD, which is expected to expand the market.

K-CAB has entered 46 countries worldwide, including Korea, and is sold in 15. Korea has maintained the No. 1 position in the peptic ulcer drug market for four consecutive years, with prescription sales of 177.7 billion won ($124.1 million) in the first 11 months of this year.