Daewoong presents Fexuclue study results at world's largest gastroenterology meet in US

Daewoong Pharmaceutical said Tuesday that it ran a Fexuclue academic booth and hosted the “Fexuclue Reception Night” symposium during the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2024, held in Washington, D.C., for four days from May 18 to 21 (local time).

DDW is the world's largest international gastroenterology congress, attended by physicians, researchers, and industry representatives worldwide. This year, more than 13,000 attendees attended. Daewoong Pharmaceutical, which participated in DDW for the second consecutive year following 2023, showcased Fexuclue's latest insights and key research achievements at its booth throughout the event period.

According to Daewoong, 12 studies were introduced at the Fexuclue booth, along with an explanation of Fexuclue's key features. Among them, three investigator-led basic studies on anti-inflammatory effects and one poster on additional analysis results of phase 3 clinical trial study in patients with GERD in China's Miran Province were presented.

The posters covered the anti-inflammatory properties of fexuprazan through inhibition of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-Kb) in Helicobacter pylori-positive gastric epithelial cells, anti-inflammatory effects through inhibition of the pyroptosis pathway in esophageal cells, prevention of small intestinal injury in a mouse model induced by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and superior symptomatic relief of Fexuclue in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in China.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical also held a symposium on May 19 at the Marriott Hotel. More than 100 doctors from eight countries, including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Korea, attended the event, which was chaired by Professor Jung Hwoon-yong of Asan Medical Center and Professor Max Schmulson of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The symposium featured lectures and case study presentations on the efficacy of Fexuclue, proven in various clinical trials, and the superiority of P-CABs (potassium-competitive acid blockers) over PPIs (proton pump inhibitors).

In the first session, Professor Ronnie Fass of the Case Western Reserve University gave a lecture on the disadvantages of PPIs, the rationale for using P-CABs based on global treatment guidelines, and the efficacy of Fexuclue in various areas as demonstrated by clinical trials.

In the second session, Professors Kim Gwang-ha of Pusan National University College of Medicine and Professor Sandy I. Ann of Temple University in Texas presented a case study of a patient who demonstrated the effectiveness of Fexuclue in improving symptoms of chronic cough and bactericidal therapy for Helicobacter pylori.

Professor Kim explained the mechanisms of reflux sore throat, the diagnostic criteria and challenges based on case reports, and the superiority of Fexuclue over PPIs in improving chronic cough symptoms. Professor Ann presented clinical practice examples in treating Helicobacter pylori, which is a challenging area due to antibiotic resistance.

Park Eun-kyung, head of ETC Marketing at Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "Our DDW booth and symposium provided opportunities to introduce Fexuclue to digestive disease experts worldwide and exchange clinical results and treatment cases. We will further try positioning Fexuclue as an effective option for treating GERD in global treatment centers."

Fexuclue, launched in July 2022 as Korea's 34th homegrown new drug, is a third-generation drug in the P-CAB family that inhibits gastric acid secretion quickly and stably by improving the shortcomings of existing GERD drugs, such as H2RA (histamine-2 receptor antagonists) and PPIs.