HK Innoen 'K-Cab', Presents Latest Research at the World's Largest Gastroenterology Conference

HK inno.N announced on the 22nd that it presented the latest research results on the new drug for gastroesophageal reflux disease, K-CAB, at Digestive Disease Week (DDW 2024) held in Washington D.C., USA, from the 18th to the 21st (local time).

Professor Lee Jin from the Department of Gastroenterology at Haeundae Paik Hospital is presenting a poster related to K-CAB at DDW 2024.
[Photo by HK Innoen]

At this conference, two studies were revealed for the first time through poster presentations: a non-clinical study comparing the mechanism of K-CAB, a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), with proton pump inhibitors (PPI) regarding changes in gastric physiology and the impact on the small intestine microbiome after long-term administration; and an investigator-initiated clinical study comparing the effects of K-CAB and PPI on upper gastrointestinal events and cardiovascular complications in patients taking antiplatelet agents after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

First, the non-clinical study on the effects of long-term administration of P-CAB and PPI on gastric physiology and the small intestine microbiome in experimental rats was led by Professor Yongseong Kim of the Digestive Disease Research Institute at Wonkwang University. The P-CAB drugs used were K-CAB and vonoprazan, while esomeprazole was used as the PPI agent. The results showed that after 4 weeks of administration, P-CAB exhibited a stronger gastric acid suppression effect than PPI, and there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of delayed gastric emptying, hypergastrinemia, or bacterial imbalance in the small intestine.

The second poster presentation contained a joint research project by Professors Jin Lee and Jongha Park of the Department of Gastroenterology at Haeundae Paik Hospital. This retrospective study compared the incidence of upper gastrointestinal events and cardiovascular complications when combining K-CAB or PPI with antiplatelet therapy in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) after PCI. K-CAB showed research results similar to PPI, which is recommended for administration in treatment guidelines. The company stated, "This suggests that K-CAB can be an alternative to PPI in managing gastrointestinal complications associated with antiplatelet therapy," adding, "This study is particularly meaningful as it expands K-CAB’s therapeutic scope not only in existing digestive diseases but also in cardiovascular diseases through combination therapy."

Dalwon Kwak, CEO of HK inno.N, said, "At DDW 2024 this year, we widely promoted the value of a domestically developed new drug in the global P-CAB market," and added, "As the leading product in the domestic P-CAB market, K-CAB will continue differentiated research and expand its therapeutic areas in various ways, enhancing its position as the ‘No.1 P-CAB’ not only in Korea but also in the global market."