JEIL PHARMACEUTICAL said on the 16th that first-quarter prescriptions for the third-generation gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment "Ja Q Bo (zastrazaprazan)" totaled 21.2 billion won, up 217.6% from the same period a year earlier.
According to the pharmaceutical research firm Ubist, prescriptions for Ja Q Bo increased 3.17 times, from 6.68 billion won in the first quarter of last year to 21.2 billion won in the first quarter of this year. Outpatient prescriptions in March reached 7.9 billion won, the highest since launch.
Ja Q Bo received approval from the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety in Apr. 2024 and was launched in the domestic market in Oct. of the same year as a new potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB). Since then, it has expanded its prescribing range by adding a gastric ulcer indication and an orally disintegrating tablet formulation.
The company said that, along with the product's clinical efficacy, joint sales and marketing (co-promotion) with Dong-A ST contributed to growth.
JEIL PHARMACEUTICAL is conducting a phase 3 clinical trial to confirm the efficacy of Ja Q Bo for non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease and the prevention of NSAID-induced peptic ulcers, and is also pursuing a clinical trial to expand its indication to maintenance therapy.
A JEIL PHARMACEUTICAL official said, "We will sustain our growth by securing additional indications and disclosing clinical results."
Meanwhile, gastroesophageal reflux disease treatments are classified into first through third generations. First-generation drugs are antacids that directly neutralize gastric acid, and second-generation drugs reduce acid secretion by blocking histamine receptors. Third-generation P-CAB treatments inhibit acid secretion by blocking the action of potassium, offering longer efficacy and greater convenience than existing therapies and thus rapidly expanding market share. JEIL PHARMACEUTICAL's "Ja Q Bo," HK inno.N's "K-CAB," and Daewoong Pharmaceutical's "Fexuclue" are representative P-CAB new drugs.