Kwangdong Pharmaceutical Signs Exclusive Sales Agreement for 3 Rare Drugs with Italian Pharmaceutical Company

Rare Disease Treatment Specialist Company Kiesewa Partners Up

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical announced on the 24th that it has signed an exclusive sales and distribution agreement in South Korea with CHIESI Farmaceutici, a rare disease specialty company based in Italy.

On-site photo of the contract signing ceremony for the introduction of global orphan drugs between Kwangdong Pharmaceutical and Italy's Chiesi.
[Photo by Kwangdong Pharmaceutical]

CHIESI is a global pharmaceutical group headquartered in Parma, Italy. Established in 1935, it possesses numerous new drug pipelines targeting rare diseases. Kwangdong Pharmaceutical plans to introduce CHIESI’s diverse product portfolio to the domestic market through this partnership.

Under this agreement, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical holds exclusive sales and distribution rights in South Korea for three of CHIESI’s rare disease drugs. The contracted products include 'Raxone,' indicated for the rare disease Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy; 'Elfabrio,' a treatment for Fabry disease; and 'Lamzede,' a therapy for alpha-mannosidosis, totaling three products.

Raxone is the original drug indicated for Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare disease causing severe vision loss, and no generics have been developed to date. Kwangdong Pharmaceutical has completed preparations for the domestic distribution of Raxone.

Elfabrio is effective against Fabry disease, a genetic disorder that can cause early death due to kidney failure, seizures, and heart disease. It is the first product in its indication group to use plant cell-derived recombinant protein.

Lastly, Lamzede is the only approved treatment for alpha-mannosidosis and was ranked 5th among the 'Global New Drugs Urgently Needed for Introduction in Korea' by the Korea National Enterprise for Clinical Trials (KoNECT) last year.

Choi Sung-won, CEO of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, stated, "We expect the strategic alliance with CHIESI to play a crucial role in strengthening our prescription drug business capabilities. We will fulfill our mission as a pharmaceutical company by supplying medicines that significantly improve the quality of life for patients suffering from rare diseases."

Giacomo Chiesi, Head of CHIESI’s Global Rare Disease Business Unit, said, "We are pleased to meet Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, which has extensive collaboration experience with various global pharmaceutical companies, in our journey to support patients worldwide suffering from rare diseases. CHIESI’s products will provide new medical opportunities for rare disease patients in Korea."

Meanwhile, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical is rapidly expanding its pharmaceutical business through active collaboration with global pharmaceutical companies. In March, it introduced 'NVK002,' a new drug candidate for pediatric myopia, from the Hong Kong ophthalmic drug specialist ZhaoKe.

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