Yuyu seeks to expand the scope of its fexofenadine to ETC

Releases 180mg product…will compete with Handok and Hanmi Pharm

Has developed twice-daily 60mg OTC and ETC

Yuyu

Yuyu Pharma, which developed a 60mg OTC drug containing the antihistamine fexofenadine, is now seeking to enter the specialty drug market.

 

Currently, only Handok, the original drugmaker, and Hanmi Pharm own a 180 mg fexofenadine product, but Yuyu Pharma is expected to barge in and pave its way into the two-drug market with its new product.

 

According to industry sources on the 20th, Yuyu Pharma’s Fexoone Tab.

 

180mg (fexofenadine hydrochloride) will be reimbursed as of the 1st of next month.

 

The upper insurance price ceiling was set at KRW 309 per tablet, which is cheaper than Handok’s Allegra Tab 180 mg (KRW 310) and Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s Fexonadine Tab 180 mg (KRW 314).

 

Since there are two other drugs containing the same ingredient, and Yuyu Pharma met all the criteria for pricing premiums the company was able to receive the highest price of KRW 314, but Yuyu lowered its price to KRW 309 to become the lowest-priced drug in the market.

 

Fexofenadine hydrochloride is a 2nd generation antihistamine.

 

Depending on the dose, it is divided into over-the-counter and ethical-the-counter (specialty) drugs, with 60mg and 120mg classified as OTC and 30mg and 180mg classified as ETC drugs.

 

However, Yuyu’s 60mg formulation recently received approval as an ETC drug.

 

The 60mg dose, which was developed by Yuyu, has never been available before.

 

The 120mg version is usually taken as a single pill before bed, but the effects do not last until the next day.

 

In contrast, the company said that the 60mg version can as two pills a day to remain effective throughout the day.

 

With Yuyu receiving approval for the 60mg formulation as an OTC, ETC, fexofenadine 60mg became an OTC/ETC drug.

 

With the addition of Fexoone Tab 180 mg, Yuyu now has 4 fexofenadine products on Korea’s reimbursement list.

 

The four items include Fexogien 60mg, an OTC drug, Fexogien 60mg, an ETC drug, and Alesta 120mg, a general drug.

 

Of these, Fexozien 60mg and Fexoone 180mg have been or will be reimbursed.

 

Yuyu’s focus on fexofenadine is likely influenced by the fact that the second-generation antihistamines olopatadine and bepotastine are undergoing reimbursement reevaluations this year.

 

The company focused on developing fexofenadine as an alternative to these drugs.

 

The original fexofenadine, Allegra, generated KRW 7.2 billion in outpatient prescription sales (UBIST) last year.

 

It has the advantage of having steady market sales.

 

It will be interesting to see if Yuyu’s fexofenadine expansion strategy will gain success.