● SK chemicals ‘Joins’, Korea’s Natural Medicine Exceeds Cumulative Sales of 400 Billion Won
- Cumulative sales exceeded 400 billion won for the first time for a domestic natural treatment for osteoarthritis
- The growth is based on the product’s many years of proven safety and efficacy in treating pain and cartilage protectionThe osteoarthritis treatment, Joins exceeded cumulative sales of 400 billion won.
SK chemicals (CEO Jeon Kwang-hyun) announced on the 19th that Joins Tab, Korea＇s No. 1 natural medicine, which was released in July 2001, has surpassed 400 billion won in cumulative sales. It is the first time that a natural osteoarthritis treatment drug developed in Korea has exceeded cumulative sales of 400 billion won.
Since its launch in 2002, the total quantity of Joins sold over the past 18 years has been about 1 billion tablets or an incredible two tablets per second.
The success of SK chemicals’ Joins is mainly due to the drug＇s safety proven through continuous prescription since its launch and also the widespread trust by the medical staff and consumers based on its efficacy in treating pain and cartilage protection.
"Joins is Korea＇s leading natural substance treatment, the safety and validity of which have been recognized through prescription data for many years," said Jeon Kwang-hyun, CEO of SK chemicals. He added, "In this era of aging, we want to take the lead in improving the quality of life of patients with arthritis through continuous research and development”.
Arthritis, a major degenerative disease, is a condition in which joints and cartilage in the knee are damaged, causing inflammation and pain. However, due to the difficulty in treating the underlying cause, many have resorted to symptomatic therapy relying on steroids or NSAIDs. But, long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs often results in gastrointestinal disorders or cardiovascular side effects, requiring patients to suffer additional pain.
In particular, it is reported that more than half of the population aged 65 or older have experienced arthritis in Korea, which has the fastest aging population among OECD countries.
SK chemicals’ Joins is Korea＇s ‘first natural medicine’ for the treatment of osteoarthritis, which consists of ＇Chinese Clematis,＇ ＇Trichosanthis＇ and ＇Thesium.＇ Starting from the principle of Oriental medicine, which seeks the constancy of human tissues, it was developed in 1993 with the goal of treating the underlying cause of arthritis, which had been considered impossible in traditional Western medicine.
Through clinical trials conducted at five high-level general hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital, SK chemicals’ Joins, Korea＇s first natural medicine has shown anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects equivalent to existing anti-inflammatory analgesics with significantly fewer major side effects than from existing analgesics.
According to IQVIA, a drug research firm, SK chemicals’ Joins had sales of 34 billion won last year, ranking first in the domestic market of natural medicines. It aims to achieve 40 billion won in sales this year.
Joins is also famous as a brand that has raised global awareness of Korean medicines. The newsweekly