(Health Korea News / Lee Chang-yong) With the introduction of the first high-purity hyperlipidemia treatment drug in Korea, the range of treatment options for patients with cardiovascular disease has expanded.
Daewoong Bio announced on the 19th that it has launched ‘Icosa Soft Capsule (ingredient name: Icosapent Ethyl) 300mg’, which is a highly purified version of ‘Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),’ one of the Omega-3 ingredients.
The main ingredient of Icosa soft capsule, ‘Icosapent ethyl’, is a drug approved by the US FDA as a treatment for preventing and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease caused by hypertriglyceridemia. Icosapent ethyl is being considered as a drug therapy for hypertriglyceridemia patients whose triglyceride levels are 200 mg/dL or higher even after treatment with ‘statin’ drugs, which are the first-line treatment for dyslipidemia.
However, since EPA single-ingredient prescription drugs are only available in the US and Europe, domestic cardiovascular disease patients have not had the opportunity to receive prescriptions. Daewoong Bio’s high-purity, high-dose EPA single-ingredient soft capsule, launched for the first time in Korea, is expected to provide new opportunities for these patients.
Many patients were reluctant to take existing domestically introduced Omega-3 products because of their large tablet size and unique fishy smell. Daewoong Bio has significantly reduced the tablet size and fishy smell by launching Icosa Soft Capsule, thereby improving patient convenience.
Icosa Soft Capsule has two indications: ▲improvement of ulcers, pain, and cold sensation caused by occlusive arteriosclerosis ▲hyperlipidemia.
A Daewoong Bio official said, “Because there is no prescription drug with the single ingredient EPA in Korea, treatment options were limited, and some patients did not prefer existing Omega-3 products due to the fishy smell,” adding, “We hope that Icosa Soft Capsule will become the optimal treatment option for many patients.”
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Source: www.hkn24.com
