A platform technology that improves the convenience in drug administration is emerging as a new profit generator in the Korean pharmaceutical industry as it can be applied to increasing patient convenience and providing more treatment options, making established medicines more accessible.

According to industry sources on Thursday, Korea’s biotech firm Alteogen recently signed a 1.6 trillion won ($1.34 billion) deal with an unnamed global pharmaceutical company to out license its recombinant human hyaluronidase called ATL-B4 that can facilitate conversion from intravenous protein therapeutics to a more convenient subcutaneous route of administration. Alteogen expects additional similar deals in the future as the latest one is not exclusive.

A switch from intravenous infusion to subcutaneous one is less invasive and enables a patient to self-administer medications.

Celltrion’s Remsima SC, a subcutaneous version of IV formulation infliximab, draws expectations after it has obtained marketing approval in Europe. Remsima SC is the only TNF-alpha inhibitor available in both IV and SC formulations. Celltrion expects that patients with autoimmune diseases can be given an IV form of Remsima in hospital at the beginning of treatment and be later switched to an SC form when symptoms improve.

Hanmi Pharmaceuticals has two dosing convenience platforms: ORASCOVERY to convert IV dosing to oral, and LAPSCOVERY to extend therapeutic effects.

ORASCOVERY out licensed to Nasdaq-listed biopharma firm Athenex in 2011 was the technology behind the development of Oraxol, an oral formulation of IV anti-cancer drug paclitaxel. Athenex is due to file for an NDA with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Oraxol in the first quarter of next year.

LAPSCOVERY designed to extend therapeutic effects and reduce dosing frequencies is now applied to a LAPS-Triple agonist, an investigational nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and a LAPS-Glucagon analog in development to congenital hyperinsulinosis and obesity.

By Pulse

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