Will Rovelito by Handok & Sanofi succeed?

Jointly developing Aprovasc ( Irbesartan & Amlodipine)

Handok & Sanofi-aventis Korea are jointly developing a combination of Irbesartan & Amlodipine, which is antihypertensive drug and are expecting synergy effect between the two companies.

 

Previously, Sanofi-aventis Korea co-developed Rovelito (Irbesartan-Atorvastatin calcium trihydrate), a new combination drug for hypertension/ hyperlipidemia with Hanmi Pharm.

 

Because it was successful in the market through joint promotions, interest is also gathered in this joint development with Handok.

 

In a business report reported to the DART of the Financial Supervisory Service on the 30th of last month, Handok signed a license agreement with Sanofi-aventis Korea for the domestic development, manufacture and licensing of antihypertensive combination drug on October 18 last year.

 

The contract ends on October 17, 2029.

 

The antihypertensive combination drug made by both companies is Aprovasc & CoAprovel.

 

Prior to this, the substance of the combination was revealed through clinical approval from the MFDS on March 4th.

 

It is a combination drug of ARB-based Irbesartan and CCB-based Amlodipine besylate by Sanofi, and a phase II clinical trial will be conducted to confirm efficacy and safety from a total of 440 people this month to March 2021.

 

To date, several ARB-CCB combinations are available, but Irbesartan-Amlodipine combinations are not available.

 

Therefore, it is expected that there will be a prescription merit due to product rarity.

 

In addition, synergies can be doubled if joint marketing is continued between the two companies.

 

Sanofi-aventis Korea has already demonstrated its power through joint marketing of Rovelito with Hanmi Pharm.

 

Rovelito was also a combination drug developed jointly between the two companies.

 

In 2012, the two companies agreed to jointly develop a new drug that combines Irbesartan and Atorvastatin, and acquired an item license in November 2013 under the name 'Rovelito'.

 

Last year's outpatient prescription amount (Source: UBIST) for Rovelito was ₩20.1 billion, and Rovelito pushed out Yuhan's Duo Well (₩18.1 billion/Telmisartan-Rosuvastatin) and Daewoong Pharmaceutical Olostar (₩12 billion /Olmesartan medoxomil/Rosuvastatin) and holds the No.

 

1 position in the ARB-statin market.

 

In the industry, Rovelito is said to be desirable as a combination of foreign pharmaceutical companies and domestic pharmaceutical companies.

 

Therefore, it is paying attention to whether joint development of Sanofi and Handok will succeed.

 

However, in the case of Rovelito, it was the first product among ARB-statin preparations, so the competition was not severe.

 

The combination of ARB and Amlodipine (including 3 drugs) is not expected to be an easy challenge to the Sanofi-Handok, as there are more than 1,000 licensed products and market competition is fierce.