On the 9th, Boryung announced that it has switched the production of the non-small cell lung cancer treatment “Alimta (generic name pemetrexed)” to in-house manufacturing. As a result, Boryung will now produce all three original drugs imported from global pharmaceutical companies.
Since 2020, Boryung has acquired the domestic sales rights for the anticancer drug “Gemzar (gemcitabine),” the schizophrenia treatment “Zyprexa (olanzapine),” and “Alimta” from Eli Lilly, a U.S. company. These therapies are produced directly at the Yesan Campus manufacturing facility in Yesan, South Chungcheong Province.
The company’s ongoing “Legacy Brands Acquisition (LBA)” strategy involves securing the rights to globally recognized original drugs proven effective in clinical trials and producing and supplying them domestically.
According to Boryung, “Gemzar,” which was acquired in 2020, saw its annual prescription amount rise from 14.3 billion won that year to 29.5 billion won last year, more than doubling. The “Zyprexa” acquired in 2021 recorded a prescription amount of 16.7 billion won last year. The “Alimta” imported in 2022 also increased from 21 billion won that year to 26.9 billion won this year, a 28% increase.
Boryung is also expanding its contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) business based on its in-house production. Last year, it signed a CDMO contract with a Taiwanese pharmaceutical company, Lotus, and plans to start overseas supply in earnest from next year.
Improvements are also being made to the product formulations. Recently, the previously powder form of “Alimta” was changed to a liquid form for re-release. Previously, it had to be diluted immediately before administration, but the liquid product can be administered directly, reducing preparation time and increasing safety. Earlier in 2023, “Gemzar” also transitioned to a liquid formulation, and currently, over 70% of all “Gemzar” sales are liquid products, indicating a positive market response.
Kim Jung-kyun, the CEO of Boryung, said, “Boryung’s LBA strategy is not just about acquiring drugs but is a growth strategy that creates new value by utilizing our research and development (R&D) and production capabilities. Moving forward, we will actively secure global pharmaceuticals to stabilize domestic supply and expand into the world market.”