● SK chemicals and Lily Korea to co-market Forsteo, an osteoporosis treatment medication
- SK chemicals and Lily Korea joined forces to expand the Forsteo market, a game changer in osteoporosis treatment
- SK chemicals will be in charge of sales activities for midsized hospitals and local clinics, while Lily Korea will be in charge of general hospitals and a portion of midsized hospitals
- “Forsteo will continue to be the leading osteoporosis medicine with marketing and sales strategy” SK chemicals has decided to co-market Forsteo (teriparatide), a leading bone formation agent to treat osteoporosis, with Lily Korea.
On April 19th, SK chemicals announced that it has signed a joint-marketing agreement with Lily Korea for Forsteo.
Forsteo is the world＇s first bone growth stimulator that offers a new treatment paradigm by promoting bone formation in osteoporosis patients. Unlike conventional osteoporosis treatment, which inhibits the release of calcium from bone to blood, the drug increases the proliferation and activity of the osteoblasts involved in the formation of new bones .
After obtaining drug approval in 2006 and insurance coverage in December 2016iii, the drug has become a major treatment option for severe osteoporosis. In 2017, the drug posted a record high 16.3 billion won ($15.2 million) in local sales and became the market leader , surpassing the sales of conventional treatments in the osteoporosis drug market. As it continues to grow, the drug is leading the osteoporosis treatment medication market.
Under the agreement, SK chemicals will be in charge of marketing and sales activities for midsized hospitals and local clinics, while Lily Korea will be in charge of general hospitals and a portion of midsized hospitals.
“Forsteo offers the optimal treatment option for patients with severe osteoporosis. The medicine is leading the market by changing the paradigm of osteoporosis treatment," said Paul Henry Huibers, Lily Korea CEO. “We expect that the agreement will help us deliver the drug more smoothly and rapidly to medical professionals and patients.”
“SK chemicals and Lily Korea have already established mutual trust last year via concluding the joint-sales partnership for Cymbalta, an antidepressant drug,” said SK chemicals CEO Jeon Kwang-hyun. “We will actively engage in marketing and sales activities so that more patients can benefit from Forsteo.”
※ Introducing Forsteo
Forsteo (teriparatide) is a recombinant protein form of parathyroid hormone. It is the world’s first bone growth accelerator used for treatment of severe osteoporosisi①. The drug reduces the risk of bone fracture by improving bone microstructure and quality, both of which are major factors that determine bone strengthii. In a randomized, large-scale clinical trial, Forsteo reduced the risk of vertebral fractures and multiple vertebral fractures by 84% and 94%, respectively, when compared with placebo⑤. In addition, bone density of the lumbar spine in patients who have received the drug for 12 months and 18 months increased by 9.82% and 10.3%, respectively⑦. Forsteo is in a pre-filled pen and should be self-injected once daily. The maximum treatment time is 24 months⑧.
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①Forteo FDA Prescribing Information
②Jiang Y, et al. J Bone Min Res. 2003;18(11):1932-1941
③Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Online Medical Library http: //drug.mfds.go.kr, Accessed Nov 2017
④IMS Data 4Q, 2017
⑤IMS Data 3Q, 2017
⑥Prevrhal S, et al. Curr Med Res Opin. 2009;25(4):921-8
⑦McClung MR, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2005;165(15):1762-68.
⑧Forsteo Instructions (Revision date: August 26, 2015)
