Development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) treatment administered once a week
Succeeded in exporting KRW 1 trillion of technology to global pharmaceutical company MSD
[팜뉴스=최선재 기자] Hanmi Pharm (CEO Jongsoo Woo, Sechang Kwon) won the “Technology Export Award” at the 22nd Korea New Drug Development Awards held by the Korea New Drug Development Research Association on the 26th.
‘Epinofegdeutide’, a non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) treatment selected as an award-winning technology, is a dual-acting treatment that simultaneously activates GLP-1, which helps suppress insulin secretion and appetite, and glucagon, which increases energy metabolism. Starting from material search in 2010, it has been developed as a subcutaneous injection once a week for 11 years, and has its own mechanism of action and technology.
NASH, which exhibits complex symptoms of fatty liver, liver fibrosis, and hepatitis, is currently not available on the market, and epinopegdeutide overcomes a single target that is a limitation of existing drugs and simultaneously acts on fat, inflammation and fibrosis in the liver. Excellent clinical results in
Meanwhile, Epinofegdeutide, which was being developed as a new drug for treating obesity diabetes, was exported to Janssen in 2015 and received the right to return in 2019.However, in August 2020, it was recognized for the possibility of expanding development as a treatment for chronic metabolic diseases including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. It exported the technology to MSD in the US at an amount of 860 million dollars (about 1 trillion won), which is of great significance as it has formed a new partnership.
Through this, it shows that failures that can occur frequently in the new drug development field can lead to new innovation-created results, thereby inspiring new drug research and development, and recognizing its excellence highly, and the technology in the technology export sector at the 22nd Korea New Drug Development Awards. Selected as an exporter.
In-young Choi, managing director of Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s bio drug development, said, “As a case of creating a reversal innovation based on the accumulation of various experiences in the new drug development process, I think that this is an achievement that gave another implication to the Korean pharmaceutical industry.” “We will use it as an opportunity to devote ourselves to R&D without shaking to create a global innovative drug.”
“Epinopegdeutide is one of the leading innovative new drug candidates in the NASH field where there is no cure to date,” said Sechang Kwon, CEO of Hanmi Pharmaceutical. “Based on its special competitiveness, which has excellent efficacy against inflammation and fibrosis, We will work closely with our partners so that we can do it.”
Meanwhile, the Korea New Drug Development Award, which celebrates its 22nd anniversary this year, is the first and most authoritative new drug development award established in Korea, led by the private sector and sponsored by the government across all domestic industries. It was enacted in April 1999 with the support of the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to promote industrial development and new drug research and development.
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