SK Biopharm, Independently Developed Epilepsy Drug Launched in the US

Prescription under the name 'Xcopri' begins locally from the 11th (local time)

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] SK Biopharm has launched the epilepsy drug "cenobamate," which it independently developed from new drug candidate discovery to clinical development and approval, in the U.S. market.

SK Biopharm announced that cenobamate began being prescribed under the name "Xcopri" nationwide in the U.S. starting on the 11th (local time).

Cenobamate received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November last year. It was developed for patients with refractory epilepsy who do not respond to existing treatments. This is the first time a new drug independently developed by a Korean company without technology export has entered the global market on its own.

Sales are also handled directly. SK Life Science, SK Biopharm’s U.S. subsidiary, is responsible for selling cenobamate in the U.S. The country is divided into 12 regions, and a direct sales system has been established so that more than 110 local sales personnel can cover all areas without omission.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, SK Biopharm plans to implement marketing through various digital platforms. They intend to provide related information so that local medical professionals can prescribe cenobamate via digital conferences and other means.

With the successful commercialization of its independently developed new drug, SK Biopharm has risen as a global integrated pharmaceutical company that independently conducts research, clinical development, production, and sales. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said, "Congratulations on being the first in Korea to receive FDA approval through independent development and successfully enter the U.S. market," emphasizing, "Cenobamate is an example of realizing social value through innovative drug development." SK Biopharm President Cho Jung-woo stated, "It is meaningful that a domestic pharmaceutical company has directly launched a new drug independently developed in the largest pharmaceutical market in the world, the U.S., for the first time."

Meanwhile, epilepsy is a disorder in which nerve cells in specific parts of the brain are in an excited state, causing repeated seizures. Although many epilepsy treatments have been marketed so far, more than half of epilepsy patients still suffer from seizure symptoms, creating a strong demand for new treatments. The global epilepsy treatment market was valued at $6.1 billion (approximately 7.46 trillion KRW) as of 2018. The U.S. market accounts for 54% of this, about $3.3 billion (approximately 4 trillion KRW), and is expected to expand to $4.1 billion (approximately 5 trillion KRW) by 2024.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.