'All-Time Great Collaboration' HK Innoen and Boryung Sell K-CAB and Kanarb Together

'150 Billion' Canav · '130 Billion' K-Cab
Joint Sales of Major Domestic New Drugs
Expect Strengthening of Hypertension and Gastrointestinal Products Lacking in Both Companies

HK Innoen and Boryung will jointly engage in sales and marketing of the domestic new drugs 'K-CAB (active ingredient: Tegoprazan)' and 'Kanarb (Pimasartan)'. As of last year, K-CAB recorded prescription sales of 130 billion KRW and the Kanarb product line achieved 150 billion KRW, making them leading products with an overwhelming position in their respective disease areas, thus significant synergy is expected.

Boryung's hypertension treatment drug 'Kanab' product line (left) and HK Innoen's gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment drug 'K-CAB' product line
[Photo by Boryung]

On the 20th, Boryung and HK Innoen announced that they will jointly sell Boryung's new hypertension drug Kanarb and HK Innoen's new gastroesophageal reflux disease drug K-CAB. From January next year, they will jointly conduct domestic sales and marketing.

The target products include all K-CAB products (K-CAB tablets and K-CAB orally disintegrating tablets) and four Kanarb product types (Kanarb, Ducaro, Ducab, Ducab Plus). Since its launch in 2019, K-CAB has been co-promoted with Chong Kun Dang, but with the contract ending this year, it was anticipated that the partner would change. Notably, until now, the orally disintegrating tablets were sold solely by HK Innoen, but with this contract, all products will be jointly sold. Conversely, Kanarb has a total of seven products, but 'Tubero' and 'Akab' are sold by Daewon Pharmaceutical, and 'Kanarb Plus' is sold domestically under the name 'Lacor' by Dong Wha Pharmaceutical, so these are excluded from the joint sales target.

Through this joint sales, Boryung is expected to fill portfolio gaps in the gastroenterology market, while HK Innoen will do so in the cardiology market. Boryung, led by Kanarb, has strong advantages in chronic diseases such as diabetes and oncology, emerging as a powerhouse in pharmaceutical marketing. However, the lack of a suitable gastrointestinal drug lineup has been a risk, which can now be addressed through K-CAB.

Conversely, HK Innoen has succeeded in rapid growth through K-CAB but had not secured a major product in the hypertension field, which accounts for a significant portion of the domestic prescription drug market. However, with the joint sales of Kanarb, HK Innoen can now overcome this. Additionally, the orally disintegrating tablets, previously sold exclusively, will now be jointly sold, expanding the scope of collaboration. An HK Innoen official explained, "Because K-CAB has broad growth potential, we saw the need to quickly establish it across various medical departments to maximize market growth. We judged that cooperating with a partner experienced in successfully launching blockbuster new drugs is a more effective way to expand the potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) market."

K-CAB, the 30th domestic new drug, is a P-CAB class drug for gastroesophageal reflux disease that shows rapid efficacy within 30 minutes after administration and has demonstrated efficacy and safety even with long-term use up to six months, leading to rapid market expansion. Since the initial launch of 'K-CAB Tablet 50mg' in 2019, 'K-CAB Orally Disintegrating Tablet 50mg' and 'K-CAB Tablet 25mg' have been released. According to the pharmaceutical market research firm Ubist, K-CAB rose to become the number one treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease in Korea last year with prescription sales of 132.1 billion KRW.

Similarly, Kanarb, the 15th domestic new drug, is a hypertension drug developed by Boryung. By launching a total of seven different combinations, it has expanded treatment options to address not only hypertension but also comorbid conditions. According to Ubist, it achieved prescription sales of 150.3 billion KRW last year.

Jang Doohyun, CEO of Boryung, said, “We hope the cooperation between the two companies and these two products will establish a successful model for the industry and new drug development history. Through the successful experience of new drug launches and sales and marketing capabilities based on clinical value, we expect to further strengthen the status of K-new drug flagship products and create new growth opportunities.”

Kwok Dalwon, CEO of HK Innoen, also stated, “Since both companies have experience successfully establishing blockbuster new drugs in the market, we will maximize synergy to solidify the number one position in each market. We also plan to explore additional partnership opportunities that will be win-win with Boryung in the future.”