Korea’s pharma industry hails new golden age
08-Jan-15, Business Korea
The domestic pharmaceutical industry achieved excellent results in the research and development sector last year, including the approval for sales of the 21st new domestic medicine called Liavax, and the entry of new Korea-developed medicines such as Kanarb and Supect to the global market. Even though the industry conditions this year have been more unpredictable than ever before due to the implementation of various systems and tightened regulations on illegal rebates, the industry sees owning competitive new drugs as its breakthrough, pushing forward with its R&D.
According to the pharmaceutical industry, DongA ST and Green Cross are planning to launch Dulastin and Neulapeg this year, respectively. These new drugs are their treatments for neutropenia, which were licensed to be sold in August last year. These products are both supportive care treatments for cancer to relieve the side effects of chemotherapy.
An anti-abdominal obesity drug from Hanmi Pharmaceutical, ALS-L1023, is currently in phase III clinical trials. It was developed as a natural substance treatment made from a Melissa leaf (Lemon Balm) extract from plants living in the Mediterranean.