The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said on the 3rd that it approved Excopri tablets (cenobamate), a treatment for adult epilepsy, as the 41st homegrown new drug. Excopri tablets are assessed to reduce seizures more than existing epilepsy treatments. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted marketing approval in 2019.
Excopri tablets were developed by SK Biopharm and are sold by Dong-A ST. Dong-A ST received a transfer of Excopri tablet manufacturing technology in Jan. last year. A Dong-A ST official said, "We will push for insurance price application and listing so that domestic epilepsy patients can receive treatment."
Excopri tablets had not been introduced in Korea, so some patients received prescriptions overseas. The drug safety agency swiftly approved the new drug in response to demands from patient groups and related academic societies. The agency said, "We will provide patients with safe and effective medicines."