SK Chemicals Launches Parkinson's Disease Treatment 'Onzentis'

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] SK Chemicals announced on the 4th that it began selling the Parkinson's disease treatment capsule "Onzentis," developed by the Portuguese pharmaceutical company BIAL, starting from the 1st of this month.

According to SK Chemicals, Onzentis was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in November last year and began domestic supply this month. It is the second release in Asia after Japan.

An SK Chemicals official explained, "This is the first time a third-generation COMT inhibitor containing opicapone as a Parkinson's disease treatment has been launched in Korea."

According to the company, Onzentis shows sufficient efficacy with once-daily dosing, improving patient convenience. The cost of medication has also been reduced by 53% compared to existing drugs, lessening the economic burden.

In terms of side effects, there was no observed association with serious diarrhea and urine discoloration, which are major side effects of second-generation COMT inhibitors, and no particular safety issues were reported even with long-term use exceeding one year.

Kim Jeong-hoon, Head of Marketing Planning at SK Chemicals, said, "Onzentis is a new drug that simultaneously addresses the issues of convenience and cost-effectiveness found in existing Parkinson's treatments," adding, "We will contribute to Parkinson's disease treatment in Korea through active marketing."

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