HK Innoen-Korea Roche, 'Avastin' Joint Promotion Agreement

HK Innoen to Lead Marketing and Sales of Avastin
in Colorectal and Gynecologic Cancer Fields

Kwak Dal-won, CEO of HK Innoen (right), and Izzat Azem, CEO of Roche Korea (left), are taking a commemorative photo after the Avastin joint promotion agreement ceremony. Photo by HK Innoen, Roche Korea

HK Innoen announced on the 21st that it held a signing ceremony on the 20th at the Korea Roche headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul, for the joint promotion of the targeted anticancer drug 'Avastin (generic name Bevacizumab)'.

Accordingly, HK Innoen will be responsible for marketing and sales of Avastin in the fields of colorectal cancer and gynecologic cancers, while Korea Roche will focus on professional research and clinical trials to enhance the clinical value of Avastin, as well as expanding patient benefits through combination therapy with 'Tecentriq (generic name Atezolizumab)'.

This partnership was established to address the unmet medical needs of domestic patients and to provide the clinical benefits of Avastin to a greater number of patients. Through this agreement, not only will the business model and organizational scale be strengthened, but it is also expected that Roche’s deep insights into Avastin and HK Innoen’s excellent sales and marketing capabilities will create a synergistic effect.

Kwack Dal-won, CEO of HK Innoen, said, "Following the distribution and joint sales agreements with Korea Roche for influenza treatments Xofluza and Tamiflu, we are honored to announce the joint promotion of Avastin this year." He added, "With the rapid increase in the prevalence of colorectal and gynecologic cancers due to aging and lifestyle changes, we will stand with patients and caregivers to overcome cancer through Avastin."

Izat Azem, CEO of Korea Roche, stated, "Continuing innovation for patients is Korea Roche’s top priority," and added, "We hope that the synergy created by the collaboration between the two companies will contribute to the lives of more cancer patients."

Avastin is the first angiogenesis inhibitor to realize the theory of 'starving cancer to death.' Since receiving FDA approval in 2004, it has been prescribed to more than 4.2 million cancer patients worldwide over nearly 20 years, providing treatment benefits to 340,000 patients annually. In Korea, Avastin was first approved in 2005 for metastatic colorectal cancer and has gradually expanded its indications. It currently holds approvals for seven cancer types, including non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, epithelial ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and glioblastoma. Including combination therapy with Tecentriq as Bevacizumab, it is used to treat a total of eight cancer types.