Italian Italfarmaco Development... FDA Approval in 2018
Improved Convenience of Administration with Suspension Formulation
[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] SK Chemicals is strengthening its neurological disease portfolio by introducing a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
On the 2nd, SK Chemicals announced that it will launch 'Teglutik,' an ALS treatment developed by the Italian pharmaceutical company Italfarmaco. Teglutik was previously approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018.
ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a degenerative neurological disorder in which motor neurons are gradually destroyed, potentially causing paralysis of the limbs and respiratory muscles. As of last year, there are 4,709 patients in South Korea, with an average annual increase rate of 3.5% over the past five years, indicating a continuous rise in patient numbers.
The Teglutik introduced by SK Chemicals contains the active ingredient riluzole and received approval from the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in May last year for extending survival time or delaying the initiation of mechanical ventilation in ALS patients. Currently, there is no drug that cures Lou Gehrig's disease itself; treatments like Teglutik focus on slowing the progression of symptoms.
Teglutik is an oral suspension formulation of riluzole, designed to be easier for patients with swallowing difficulties to take. By improving ease of administration, it is expected to better support the treatment of Lou Gehrig's disease. In South Korea, riluzole-based ALS treatments approved include Sanofi Aventis Korea's 'Rilutek Tablets' and Yuyu Pharma's 'Yuritek Tablets,' but Teglutik is the only oral suspension formulation available.
Park Hyun-sun, Head of Pharma Planning at SK Chemicals, said, "The introduction of SK Chemicals' Teglutik is expected to further enhance convenience for patients. Since SK Chemicals' neurodegenerative disease treatments such as 'Wondron Patch' and 'Onzentis Capsules' are already prominent in the market, we also anticipate synergistic effects through the introduction of Teglutik."
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