South Korea’s SK chemicals Co. announced on Thursday that it has entered into a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) supply agreement with AstraZeneca PLC, a British-Swedish pharmaceutical company, to produce and supply Sidapvia in South Korea.

Sidapvia, a combination of Forxig (dapagliflozin) and sitagliptin, is indicated for type 2 diabetes in adults aged 18 and older. The condition occurs when insulin does not function properly, leading to high blood sugar levels.

SK Chemicals and the British pharmaceutical jointly developed the diabetes drug.

Under the agreement, SK chemicals will handle the manufacturing and global distribution of Sidapvia, while AstraZeneca will act as the marketing authorization holder (MAH) for the combination drug. AstraZeneca will be responsible for country-specific licensing and marketing efforts. South Korea is the first country to grant licensing for Sidafvia.

Sidafvia has two active ingredients, including Forxiga, the leading SGLT-2 inhibitor worldwide, and sitagliptin, the top-selling DPP-4 inhibitor globally. The ingredients work through different mechanisms of action to effectively lower blood glucose levels, making the drug a promising option for managing complications among diabetic patients.

Ahn Jae-hyun, chief executive officer of SK chemicals, expressed confidence in the company’s pharmaceutical technology and production capabilities, which have laid the foundation for supplying medicines to numerous countries. Ahn further stated that the company plans to foster various collaboration opportunities.

The collaboration between SK chemicals and AstraZeneca started in early 2020 when AstraZeneca provided SK chemicals with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and funded research for diabetes treatment development. SK chemicals subsequently took over product research and development, as well as conducted domestic clinical trials. “With this agreement as a starting point, SK chemicals aims to expand the supply of Sidapvia not only in Korea but also in the global market,” according to a representative from the company.

By Shim Hee-jin and Han Yubin

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