S.Korea sees release of generic diabetes drugs after Forxiga patent expires

South Korea's pharmaceutical companies are competing to sell generic drugs to raise their presence on the domestic market for diabetes treatment with the expiration of the patent of AstraZeneca's Forxiga, whose active ingredient is dapagliflozin.

Sales of Forxiga are an estimated 90 billion won ($68.1 million) in the nation.

Industry sources on Monday said the health insurance market has adopted 151 new drugs with the same ingredients as Forxiga, with only 89 pharmaceutical companies licensed to use them. Lowering blood sugar level by inhibiting receptors in glucose reabsorption in the kidneys, Forxiga saw its market value in the country exceed 90 billion won last year.

AstraZeneca has applied for two product patents to extend Forxiga's patent period, whose expiration dates are March 7 this year and January 8 next year. Domestic pharmaceutical companies invalidated the second that expires next year through patent trials, and the generic market opened on Saturday.

The difference in price between the original and generic products is small at around 200 won and differentiation of product is difficult, so companies are fighting a sales battle. Symposiums are also bringing doctors together, with HK Inno.N on Thursday inviting endocrine staff to introduce the medicine.

Yuyu Pharma added its first diabetes drug lineup through its Forxiga generic, the first time for the company to roll out a diabetes drug since its founding in 1941. Dong-A ST was the first to release a product early this year by chemically modifying its drug to avoid patenting.

On September 1, Merck's patent for its DPP-4 inhibitor-class diabetes drug Januvia will expire. About 100 pharmaceutical companies have received approval to make generics of this drug, whose annual sales exceed 150 billion won.

Write to Ji-Hyun Lee at bluesky@hankyung.com