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Lijun Pharmaceutical signed a licensing cooperation agreement for a potassium ion competitive acid blocker with Onconic Therapeutics Inc.
Release time:
2023-03-10
On March 10, 2023, Livzon Pharmaceutical Group Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Livzon Pharmaceutical") signed an exclusive licensing agreement for Zastaprazan developed by Onconic Therapeutics Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "Onconic"), a biotechnology company focused on developing globally leading gastrointestinal drugs and next-generation anti-tumor therapies, in the Greater China region.
Zastaprazan is an innovative potassium ion competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) independently developed by Onconic. It is currently undergoing a Phase III clinical trial for erosive esophagitis in South Korea. Existing data indicate that Zastaprazan has the advantages of rapid onset, excellent acid suppression, long-lasting effects, and fewer adverse reactions, and it may be expanded in the future to treat duodenal ulcers, Helicobacter pylori infections, and non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Mr. Tang Yanggang, Executive Director and President of Livzon Pharmaceutical, stated: "This collaboration with Onconic will fully leverage our respective advantages to jointly promote the development and commercialization of Zastaprazan in the Greater China region. Livzon Pharmaceutical has been deeply engaged in the gastrointestinal field for many years and has been committed to the development of innovative gastrointestinal drugs. This cooperation will further expand Livzon Pharmaceutical's gastrointestinal pipeline."
Dr. John Kim, CEO of Onconic, stated: "We are pleased to reach an agreement with Livzon Pharmaceutical, a leader in the gastrointestinal treatment field in China, and look forward to Livzon Pharmaceutical becoming a winner in the P-CAB market through the close cooperation of both companies. Zastaprazan has the advantages of rapid onset and long duration, and we hope it can become an important treatment option for patients with gastroesophageal reflux and acid-related diseases in China."
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal disease, clinically mainly manifested as heartburn and acid regurgitation. Erosive esophagitis (EE) falls under the category of GERD, caused by the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus, leading to erosion of the mucosa in the lower esophagus, forming EE. In recent years, the incidence of GERD has shown an increasing trend year by year, with an analysis of the global population indicating a prevalence of GERD symptoms occurring at least once a week at 13%[1]. It has been reported that the prevalence of GERD in community populations in China is 7.69%[2]. Due to the large population base in our country, there are many patients, and GERD patients require repeated medical visits and medication, indicating a broad market space. Traditional proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are the most widely used acid-suppressing drugs in clinical practice, with IMS data showing that the market size of traditional PPIs in China was approximately 12.7 billion RMB in 2022.
About Onconic
Onconic was established in 2020 and is a rapidly growing company focused on the research and development of innovative drugs (NCEs) in the gastrointestinal and oncology fields. In addition to Zastaprazan, Onconic is currently developing next-generation synthetic lethal drugs for cancer treatment, dedicated to improving the health of patients through innovative drug research.
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