Kwangdong to sell exclusively three global rare disease drugs

South Korean pharmaceutical company Kwangdong Pharmaceutical announced on Monday that it signed an agreement for securing exclusive sales and distribution rights in the domestic market with the Italian rare disease drug specialist Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA.

The contracted products include "Raxone," indicated for the rare disorder Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, "Elfabrio," a treatment for Fabry disease and "Lamzede," a treatment for alpha-mannosidosis. These three medications are novel drugs with global significance.

Raxone is an original drug indicated for the rare condition Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, which causes severe vision loss, and currently has no generic alternatives. Kwangdong Pharmaceutical has already completed preparations for the domestic distribution of Raxone.

Elfabrio is effective for Fabry disease, a genetic disorder that can lead to kidney failure, seizures and heart disease, and it is the first plant cell-derived recombinant protein used for a drug within the same indication group.

Lamzede is the only approved treatment for alpha-mannosidosis and was selected as one of the top-five "urgently needed global new drugs for domestic introduction" by the Korea National Enterprise for Clinical Trials (KoNECT) in 2022.

Established in 1935, Chiesi Farmaceutici is a global pharmaceutical group headquartered in Parma, Italy. It holds numerous innovative drugs in its pipeline for rare diseases. With this partnership, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical plans to introduce various Chiesi products to the South Korean market.

"I expect that the strategic partnership with Chiesi will play a crucial role in strengthening our capabilities in the specialty pharmaceutical business," the CEO of Kwangdong Pharmaceutical Choi Seong-won said.

He emphasized the company's commitment to fulfilling its mission as a drug company by supplying medicines that significantly improve the quality of life for patients with rare diseases.

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