Samjin's 'Masiten Tablets' Aims to Capture Market as 'First Generic'

Samjin Pharmaceutical announced on the 31st that it will launch the pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment drug "Masiten Tablet (active ingredient Masitentan)" on the 1st of next month. By quickly proceeding with the launch using the priority sales approval obtained from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the company plans to rapidly capture the market through exclusive sales and marketing as the "first generic" for the next nine months.

Samjin Pharmaceutical's pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment 'Masiten Tablet' [Photo by Samjin Pharmaceutical]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a refractory disease caused by increased blood pressure in the pulmonary artery that supplies blood from the heart to the lungs. It can cause right heart failure, sudden cardiac death, and is known to have an average survival period of only three years. In particular, in Korea, due to low awareness and treatment rates of the disease, it is estimated that about 6,000 people suffer from the disease, including those not yet diagnosed. Recently, with advancements in diagnostic testing, awareness of the disease has increased, and the related treatment drug market is expected to gradually expand.

Among pulmonary arterial hypertension treatments, Masitentan, classified as an endothelin receptor antagonist, is widely used both as monotherapy and combination therapy, and its efficacy has been verified. The original Masitentan drug is "Opsumit Tablet," developed by Swiss company Actelion and sold domestically by Janssen Korea. According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, sales of Masitentan formulations in the domestic pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment market reached approximately 17 billion KRW last year.

Yoo Jeong-min, PM of the Marketing Department at Samjin Pharmaceutical, said, "The lower price of Masiten Tablet compared to the original will reduce the economic burden on patients," adding, "Not only the price but also as a first generic with good quality and efficacy, it will be a new alternative in the pulmonary arterial hypertension market."