SK Chemicals strengthens migraine drug lineup with Suvexx

A combination drug for migraines

Listed at KRW 5,042 per tablet from September... Secured domestic distribution rights

Expected to create synergy with the company’s existing triptans such as Migard Tab

Suvexx, a combination migraine treatment imported and supplied by SK Chemicals, will be reimbursed in Korea next month.

 

Suvexx is a combination of sumatriptan, a triptan-class drug most commonly used for migraine, and naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).

 

According to industry sources on the 26th, Suvexx will be listed for reimbursement at KRW 5,042 per tablet starting on the first of next month.

 

There has never been a combination drug combining sumatriptan naproxen in Korea.

 

Furthermore, the individual ingredients, sumatriptan succinate 85mg and naproxen sodium 500mg, are not registered on the reimbursement list.

 

Therefore, HIRA applied a formula based on the upper insurance price limit of products that contain similar dosages of the ingredients to calculate the upper limits of each component and then added them up.

 

The resulting price was KRW 5,042 per tablet.

 

The total price is higher than the maximum price of KRW 3,615 set for sumatriptan succinate 50 mg and KRW 420 for naproxen 1 g, which are currently registered on the reimbursement list.

 

Suvexx is indicated for the treatment of acute migraine attacks with or without prodromal symptoms in adult patients 18 years of age and older.

 

In clinical trials, a significantly higher proportion of subjects achieved headache relief 2 hours after dosing compared to placebo, and the proportion of patients who remained pain-free for 24 hours after dosing without taking any other medication was significantly higher in the treatment group compared to placebo, sumatriptan monotherapy, and naproxen monotherapy, demonstrating the drug’s efficacy.

 

The product was co-developed by global pharmaceutical giant GSK and Pozen, a subsidiary of Canada's Aralez Pharmaceuticals, and SK Chemicals signed a contract with the original developer to introduce the drug in Korea in 2021.

 

SK Chemicals received domestic approval for the drug on August 1 last year.

 

SK Chemicals has been supplying various products in the domestic migraine market.

 

Recently, it co-marketed Emgality, a migraine prevention injection that targets calcitonin-gene-related peptide (CGRP), with Lilly.

 

The company also owns the triptan-based Migard Tab (frovatriptan), so the launch of Suvexx is expected to create synergy, strengthening the company’s product lineup.

 

The annual prescription volume of triptan-based migraine drugs is approximately KRW 20 billion.