HK Innoen's 'K-Cab' Also Covered by Health Insurance for Helicobacter Eradication Treatment

From this month, the scope of health insurance coverage for HK Innoen's potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) new drug for gastroesophageal reflux disease, 'K-CAB (active ingredient Tegoprazan),' will be expanded.

All products of K-CAB, a new drug for gastroesophageal reflux disease by HK inno.N.
[Photo by HK inno.N]

HK Innoen announced on the 3rd that starting from the 1st of this month, K-CAB will also be covered by insurance when used in combination antibiotic therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication in patients with peptic ulcers.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) mainly infects the gastric mucosa and is known to cause chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, gastric adenocarcinoma, and gastric lymphoma. The eradication treatment for H. pylori is primarily conducted by taking acid suppressants twice daily along with two types of antibiotics (amoxicillin and clarithromycin) for 7 to 14 days.

With this expansion of coverage, K-CAB will be insured when used in combination antibiotic therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication in patients with peptic ulcers starting this month. According to the Korean Society of Upper Gastrointestinal and Helicobacter, it is estimated that about half of the global population is infected with H. pylori, and eradication therapy is especially recommended for patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Kwok Dal-won, CEO of HK Innoen, said, "Since the main insurance coverage criteria applied to existing proton pump inhibitor (PPI) products are now also applied to the P-CAB new drug K-CAB, we expect to further expand our activities in the domestic gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment market, which exceeds 1 trillion KRW annually." He added, "We will continue to add indications for K-CAB, conduct differentiated research, and expand overseas to solidify our leading position in the gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment market."

HK Innoen's K-CAB is a P-CAB class treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease with indications including ▲erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease ▲non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease ▲gastric ulcers ▲combination antibiotic therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication in patients with peptic ulcers and chronic atrophic gastritis ▲maintenance therapy after treatment of erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease. This is the largest number of indications among similar drugs in Korea.

K-CAB has expanded to 35 countries overseas, including the United States and China, and has been launched in China, the Philippines, Mongolia, and Mexico. Two countries are preparing for launch after approval, five countries are under approval review, and phase 3 clinical trials are underway in the United States. Domestically, it has been launched in two formulations: tablets (25 mg and 50 mg) and orally disintegrating tablets (50 mg). The outpatient prescription sales recorded 132.1 billion KRW last year and accumulated 60.7 billion KRW through May this year.

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