Korea’s SK Chemicals has recently entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca to manufacture the diabetes drug Sidapvia for the remainder of the decade, as per a regulatory filing. The manufacturing of Sidapvia will take place at SK’s facility in Cheongju, the capital city of North Chungcheong Province, and SK will also be responsible for distributing the drug within Korea. The specific financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
This collaboration further strengthens the partnership between SK Chemicals and AstraZeneca, which was initially formed in 2020 when they joined forces to develop Sidapvia. During the early stages, AstraZeneca provided the active pharmaceutical ingredients and funded the research. Subsequently, SK took over the product’s research and development and conducted clinical trials in Korea.
The successful efforts led to the approval of Sidapvia in Korea last month, making it the first of its kind worldwide. The drug is a combination of AstraZeneca’s SGLT-2 blockbuster Farxiga and the DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin, known in the US as Merck’s Januvia. According to guidelines from the Korean Diabetes Association, this combination is expected to deliver more effective glycemic lowering effects compared to either drug used alone.
As part of the agreement, AstraZeneca will be responsible for seeking regulatory approvals for Sidapvia outside of Korea.
In addition to their work on Sidapvia, SK Chemicals and AstraZeneca collaborated in 2020 on a production deal for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine at SK’s plant in Andong. This highlights the ongoing partnership between the two companies in advancing healthcare solutions.
