SK Biopharm Technology Exported Sleep Disorder New Drug 'Sunosi' Launched in Canada

SK Biopharm CI (Photo by SK Biopharm)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] SK Biopharm's sleep disorder treatment new drug 'Sunosi (SUNOSI)', developed and licensed out, has entered the Canadian market.

SK Biopharm announced on the 1st that its partner Jazz Pharmaceuticals received marketing approval for Sunosi (active ingredient 'solriamfetol') from Canadian health authorities in May and recently launched the product.

Sunosi is a treatment developed to improve the wakefulness of adult patients suffering from excessive daytime sleepiness caused by narcolepsy and sleep apnea. After completing Phase 1 clinical trials, SK Biopharm licensed the technology to Jazz Pharmaceuticals, the global leader in sleep disorder treatments, which then proceeded with development and commercialization.

Sunosi first received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2019 and began sales in July, and with its successful entry into Canada, it has begun to actively target the North American market. According to data from Statistics Canada and others, it is estimated that there are about 15,000 narcolepsy patients in Canada, and approximately 6.4% of the total population is known to experience sleep apnea. Currently, Sunosi is sold not only in North America but also in European markets such as Germany, Denmark, France, and Italy.

As Sunosi's global market expansion gradually increases, SK Biopharm is expected to generate milestone payments linked to sales performance and royalty income from sales. SK Biopharm currently holds the distribution rights for solriamfetol in 12 Asian countries including Korea, China, and Japan.

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