AbbVie’s blood cancer drug Epkinly wins nod in Korea

AbbVie’s blood cancer treatment Epkinly (ingredient: epcoritamab) has obtained approval in Korea.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on Thursday it gave the green light to Epkinly, a bispecific antibody binding to CD3 on the surface of T cells and CD20 on the surface of B cells.

AbbVie and Genmab jointly developed Epkinly, and AbbVie is responsible for global sales outside of the U.S. and Japan, where the two companies have shared rights. 

AbbVie Korea imports Epkinly to Korea. 

Epkinly won conditional authorization in Europe last September.

Epkinly is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after two or more prior systemic therapies. 

DLBCL is one of the most common B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas that spreads over a large area and is characterized by rapid progression.

Epcoritamab binds to CD3 to activate T cells and binds to CD20 to bring B cells to the side of the activated T cells, leading to the death of the B cells

The ministry said the drug is expected to provide a new treatment opportunity for patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who have received two or more prior therapies.