Daewoong Bio’s "Celebrain" Leads Domestic Market, Surpasses Import Value of Original Pharmaceutical

Aiming for 10 Billion KRW in Annual Sales Next Year

Daewoong Bio, a company specializing in brain health, announced on October 24 that its brain function disorder treatment, Celebrain, has surpassed the import value of the original pharmaceutical product and is now leading the domestic market.

Celebrain 10ml, 20ml. Daewoong Bio

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Celebrain’s production performance reached 6.1 billion KRW, exceeding the 5.6 billion KRW import value of the original pharmaceutical product.

Celebrain’s sales are also increasing rapidly. Since its official launch in 2021, the product has maintained steep growth, recording an average annual growth rate of approximately 78.8% through last year.

Daewoong Bio is targeting sales of 8 billion KRW this year and 10 billion KRW next year. In addition, the number of prescribing institutions continues to grow as Celebrain is being introduced at major tertiary general hospitals such as Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center, and Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital.

Celebrain is an injectable medication containing porcine brain peptide and is effective for the following indications: ▲ senile dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia) ▲ brain function disorders after stroke ▲ traumatic brain injury (such as concussion and cerebral contusion).

Porcine brain peptide is a peptide refined from proteins extracted from pig brains and is an animal-derived pharmaceutical developed in Europe. It acts similarly to brain-derived neurotrophic factors, playing a crucial role in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and migration, and promotes neurogenesis and natural recovery processes. Furthermore, porcine brain peptide is a proven drug in terms of efficacy and safety, to the extent that the European Society for Neuroscience recommends it for rehabilitation patients with impaired brain function.

While most pharmaceuticals with the same active ingredient currently marketed in Korea are available only in a 10ml single dose, Daewoong Bio has differentiated Celebrain by offering both 10ml and 20ml options. Since the maximum dosage of porcine brain peptide can reach up to 50ml depending on symptoms, the two available volumes of Celebrain not only improve prescription convenience but also reduce patients’ treatment costs, as the 20ml product is about 30% less expensive than two 10ml units.

Daewoong Bio plans to soon launch a 30ml formulation. This will further enhance convenience by enabling broader treatment with just one vial and is expected to be supplied at an economical price. Additionally, since Celebrain is manufactured in a vial container, it offers greater administration safety compared to ampoule containers. Ampoule containers carry a risk of glass fragment contamination during administration, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has issued special warnings regarding this risk.

Yoo Youngki, Head of Marketing at Daewoong Bio, stated, “Celebrain is establishing itself as a market-leading product based on its broad indications, formulation advantages, and excellent safety and efficacy,” adding, “We will do our utmost to improve consumers’ quality of life through patient-centered development strategies, including the launch of new formulations.”