SK Biopharmaceuticals launches epilepsy drug in France

South Korean SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. said on Friday that its treatment of epilepsy "Cenobamate" has been approved for sale in France.

The company launched the same drug in 15 European countries, beginning with Germany in June this year. The local drug brand name is "Ontozry."

With the introduction to France, the company stressed that it has succeeded in entering all five major European markets, including Germany, Britain, Italy, Spain, and France. The size of these five countries' epilepsy market is estimated at $1.7 billion, accounting for 73% of the total in Europe.

An SK Biopharm official said, "We expect to be able to earn milestone revenues in relation to sales royalties and sales from our European partner Angelini Pharma through the expansion of sales in the continent."

Cenobamate is a treatment for partial-onset seizures in adult patients with epilepsy.

Write to Jae-Young Han at jyhan@hankyung.com