Pharmaceutical corporations Boryung said on the 4th that it signed a license-in agreement with Antengene, a Chinese pharmaceutical company specializing in anticancer drug development, to bring in the new hematologic cancer drug Xpovio (ingredient name selinexor) and began full-fledged domestic supply starting last month.
Xpovio is a treatment for multiple myeloma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma developed by Antengene, received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2021, and was approved in Korea in 2021.
The drug is the world's first-in-class selective XPO1 (exportin 1) inhibitor. Put simply, it blocks the "protein transport channel" that cancer cells use to survive. Cancer cells export proteins that should suppress cancer out of the nucleus, weakening their function. The protein that serves as this channel is XPO1. Xpovio blocks this so that tumor-suppressor proteins remain in the nucleus. As a result, the suppressor proteins are reactivated, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and inducing cancer cell death.
With this agreement, Boryung secured exclusive rights in Korea, including marketing rights, distribution rights and regulatory approval rights, for Xpovio.
In Korea, Xpovio received reimbursement for "combination therapy with dexamethasone in fifth-line or later treatment," and starting on the 1st, reimbursement also applied to "combination therapy with bortezomib and dexamethasone in second-line or later treatment."
By bringing in Xpovio, Boryung added a new hematologic cancer drug and built a portfolio of eight hematologic cancer treatments. The company operates the only dedicated hematologic cancer organization in Korea. Its goal is to provide a solution that covers the entire treatment cycle from initial diagnosis of hematologic cancer to relapse and refractory stages.
Seong Baek-min, head of BD and Marketing at Boryung, said, "Xpovio is an oral hematologic cancer drug with a new mechanism that can complement the existing treatment paradigm," and added, "Based on our expertise that spans the full spectrum of hematologic cancer treatment, we will continue to provide meaningful treatment options for both patients and medical staff."