Boryeong Acquires Domestic Rights for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Drug 'Alimta'

Non-small cell lung cancer treatment drug Alimta.
[Photo by Boryung]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Boryung (formerly Boryung Pharmaceutical) announced on the 25th that it has signed an asset transfer agreement with the US global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly for the non-small cell lung cancer treatment drug Alimta (generic name Pemetrexed).

Through this agreement, Boryung will acquire all rights, including the Korean distribution and approval rights, for Alimta from Lilly.

Alimta, the original product of Lilly, is considered a paradigm-shifting treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004 as the first treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma and is a representative first-line treatment and the first maintenance therapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduced in Korea in 2006, Alimta enabled tailored treatment according to histological type, significantly reducing the side effects and toxicity of cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs, thereby improving patients' quality of life and survival rates.

Even after the patent expiration in 2015, Alimta has maintained its position as an original drug with high clinical value, recording annual sales in the 20 billion KRW range (according to IQVIA) and holding a high market share of about 60% in the pemetrexed prescription market, ranking first.

In particular, the recent combination therapy of Alimta and MSD's immuno-oncology drug Keytruda (generic name Pembrolizumab) has been recognized as a major first-line treatment option for patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Boryung plans to enhance the company's profitability along with sustained growth in the oncology sector through this acquisition of Alimta. The sales target for Alimta in the first year after acquisition, next year, is 23 billion KRW, and the company plans to increase both sales and market share in line with the expansion of treatment options and the increase in patient numbers.

Kim Young-seok, head of Boryung's Onco division, said, "Alimta is widely used as a representative chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in Korea, and it is a product with even greater expectations ahead as a combination therapy with other immuno-oncology drugs. We will continue to strive to provide various treatment options to prescribing doctors and patients based on a broad oncology portfolio."

Alimta is the third product for which Boryung has acquired domestic rights from a global pharmaceutical company. Boryung acquired the domestic rights for the anticancer drug Gemzar (generic name Gemcitabine) from Lilly in 2020 and the schizophrenia treatment drug Zyprexa (generic name Olanzapine) last year.

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