Increasing Demand for Safety Drugs... Boryung Pharmaceutical's 'Stoga' Gains Attention in the Stomach Medicine Market
[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Boryung Pharmaceutical's Stoga (active ingredient Lafutidine, photo) is gaining attention in the gastritis and gastric ulcer treatment market.
Since last year, demand for safe drugs has increased due to the 'N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)' issue that emerged in domestic and international pharmaceutical markets. NDMA is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer as a probable human carcinogen and has caused turmoil after being detected in hypertension medications, gastrointestinal drugs, and recently in diabetes treatments.
In September last year, it was reported that NDMA was detected exceeding provisional control limits in raw materials of ranitidine-based gastrointestinal drugs, leading to the withdrawal of ranitidine products from the market. Until then, ranitidine dominated sales in the H2 receptor antagonist (H2RA) class of anti-ulcer drugs. H2RA works by suppressing gastric acid secretion.
Due to NDMA detection, ranitidine sales were banned domestically, and alternative ingredients such as cimetidine and lafutidine have emerged. Cimetidine products are made by importing raw materials from overseas, but rising raw material prices and unstable supply have caused production difficulties. In contrast, lafutidine has firmly established itself as a ranitidine substitute, with as many as 30 product approvals this year alone.
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Stoga, an original product containing lafutidine, was first launched in Korea in 2009 and has been prescribed for a long time, verifying its safety and efficacy. According to the company, Stoga's prescription sales reached 13.9 billion KRW last year, a 21% increase from the previous year. This is the highest among H2RA prescription sales. A company representative stated, "Stoga was tested according to the analysis methods recommended by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and no carcinogenic substances were detected."
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