Handok to sell Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ leukemia drug in Korea exclusively

Handok signed an agreement to exclusively market Jazz Pharmaceuticals’ acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, Vyxeos, in Korea on Tuesday.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals, an Ireland-based global biopharmaceutical company, has portfolio models of neural and cancer medical products already in the sale or under development. The company supplies its products to 75 countries. In 2015, Handok and Jazz Pharmaceuticals signed an agreement on Handok’s exclusive sales of Defitelio, a treatment for the hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), in Korea.

Vyxeos became an orphan drug in Korea in May. The chemotherapy for AML takes the form of a liposomal powder that contains Daunorubicin and Cytarabine. It is mixed with liquid medicine to be injected into the vein.

In the phase 3 trial, Vyxeos showed better performance in extending the survival period than the standard combination 7+3 regimen of Daunorubicin and Cytarabine. The median overall survival of the Vyxeos group was 9.6 months, longer than the 5.9 months for the standard 7+3 regimen group.

“In addition to Defitelio, I am glad to introduce another innovative medicine of Jazz Pharmaceuticals in Korea,” Handok CEO Kim Young-jin said, “As a frontrunner in the supply of rare disease treatments, we will put in best of our efforts to support healthier lives of rare disease patients as well as cancer patients.”

Handok’s rare disease treatments include Soliris for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; Ultomiris for PNH; Tracleer, Opsumit, and Uptravi for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); Defitelio for hepatic VOD; and Galafold for the Fabry disease.