Boryung acquires global rights to Taxotere for KRW 288B

A drug that posts annual sales of KRW 100B

Signs agreement with Sanofi for global rights to Taxotere

Last year's sales were KRW 115.4 billion...Company’s first global rights to an original drug

Boryung acquired global rights to Sanofi's anticancer drug ‘Taxotere’ for up to KRW 287.8 billion.

 

This investment, approaching KRW 300 billion, secures a revenue stream of approximately KRW 100 billion in annual sales.

 

Boryung announced on the 30th that it has signed a global licensing agreement with Sanofi for the global business of the cytotoxic anticancer drug ‘Taxotere’ (docetaxel), including domestic and international rights, distribution rights, licensing rights, production rights, and trademark rights.

 

The deal is valued at up to EUR 175 million (KRW 287.8 billion).

 

Of this, EUR 161 million (KRW 264.8 billion) will be paid at closing, while the remaining EUR 14 million (KRW 23 billion) will be contingent on achieving certain contractual milestones.

 

Through this acquisition, Boryung will take over the comprehensive business operations of Taxotere in 19 countries, including Korea, China, Germany, and Spain, as well as in Latin America and the Middle East, subject to approval by local regulatory authorities.

 

Once regulatory procedures are completed, Boryung plans to manufacture Taxotere at its Yesan Campus and directly distribute and market the drug in global markets.

 

Docetaxel is listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, and Taxotere is the original brand product of docetaxel.

 

First approved by the U.S.

 

FDA in 1995, Taxotere has been widely used for the treatment of various solid tumors, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, gastric cancer, and head & neck cancers.

 

According to Sanofi, the product generated global sales of EUR 70 million (KRW 115.4 billion) last year.

 

Even today, the clinical utility of Taxotere continues to expand, particularly in combination therapies, reinforcing its role as a key component in global cancer treatment.

 

A Boryung representative explained, “Although the paradigm in oncology is shifting toward targeted and immuno-oncology therapies, cytotoxic agents remain a fundamental backbone of cancer treatment.” Boryung has previously taken over the domestic operations of global original oncology drugs such as Gemzar (2021) and Alimta (2023), successfully transitioning them to in-house production and ensuring stable supply.

 

Boryung aims to advance as a global pharmaceutical company in the field of cytotoxic anticancer drugs through the acquisition of the Taxotere business.

 

A Boryung official emphasized, “In the actual global market, repeated stockouts and supply disruptions of cytotoxic anticancer drugs are impacting patient treatment.

 

Through this acquisition of the Taxotere global business, we plan to expand our differentiated portfolio in the cytotoxic anticancer drug field by stably establishing the global supply chain for these essential medicines, whose importance has grown.” Jeong-Gyun Kim, CEO of Boryung, said, “Boryung has gone beyond simple product acquisitions, internalizing manufacturing and formulation improvements to secure sustainable competitiveness.

 

The Taxotere global business acquisition marks not only our third anticancer drug takeover after Gemzar and Alimta, but also the first time we have acquired global rights to an original medicine, paving the way for full-scale overseas expansion.” Kim added, “We will advance Taxotere's therapeutic value by expanding beyond simple technology transfer into comprehensive R&D, including follow-up formulation development, combination therapy strategies, and research into new indications.

 

Through this, we aim to strengthen our differentiated portfolio in the cytotoxic oncology field, directly manufacture and distribute original anticancer medicines on the global stage, and reinforce our future growth engines.”.