S.Korea's Huons gets approval to supply anesthetics to Canada

Huons Co., a South Korean pharmaceutical company, has announced plans to expand its presence in the North American market by offering two anesthetic drugs. The company confirmed on Tuesday that it has received approval from Health Canada, the government department responsible for national health policy, to supply "1% lidocaine hydrochloride injection 5mL ampoule" and "1% lidocaine hydrochloride injection 5mL vial."

The two drugs were previously granted drug product approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Apr. 2018 and May 2020, respectively. Huons intends to strengthen its competitive edge in the North American market by securing the latest approval from the Canadian authorities.

The company plans to initially supply 70,000 vials in the second quarter of this year and expand its product lineup targeting the Canadian market. In Canada, it will leverage the vast distribution network of FPI, an Ontario-based drug importer.

Huons' representative stated that the lidocaine injection approved this time is a basic drug that has been in short supply in North America since the 2010s.

"It will contribute to stabilizing supply, and we expect that our position in the North American basic injectable drug market will be further strengthened," he added.

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