HK inno.N's (195940.KS) gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment K-CAB has surpassed 1 trillion won in cumulative outpatient prescriptions. It marks the first time a Korean novel drug has exceeded the 1 trillion won threshold on a single-drug basis.
Alongside K-CAB's growth, the share of potassium-competitive acid blockers (P-CAB) in Korea's gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment market is rapidly expanding, prompting assessments that a shift in the treatment paradigm is now in full swing.
According to pharmaceutical market research firm UBIST on Wednesday, HK inno.N's K-CAB recorded cumulative outpatient prescriptions of 1.0026 trillion won as of the end of April this year. The milestone comes about seven years after its launch in 2019. K-CAB posted 217.9 billion won in outpatient prescriptions last year alone, capturing more than half of Korea's P-CAB market.
The P-CAB class is gaining greater influence in Korea's gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment market in tandem with K-CAB's growth. According to UBIST, prescriptions for P-CAB drugs (K-CAB, Fexuclue, and Jaqbo) reached 355.9 billion won last year, accounting for 32.1% of the combined P-CAB and PPI market of 1.11 trillion won. That represents an expansion from 279.2 billion won, or 27.7%, the previous year.
Analysts attribute the growth to the P-CAB class's faster onset of action and stronger suppression of nocturnal acid secretion compared with conventional proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). While existing PPIs have clear limitations — they must be taken before meals and require time to take effect — P-CABs are seen as more competitive in terms of dosing convenience and speed of action. The expansion of indications, including erosive and non-erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastric ulcers, Helicobacter pylori eradication, and maintenance therapy, is also cited as a factor. K-CAB holds the largest portfolio in Korea's P-CAB class, with 159 clinical studies and five approved indications.
The drug is also accelerating its global expansion. At the recent Digestive Disease Week (DDW), the world's largest gastroenterology conference, the company unveiled U.S. Phase 3 clinical data, highlighting K-CAB's competitiveness over existing PPIs. K-CAB has entered 55 overseas countries through technology exports or finished-product sales and is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Industry observers say K-CAB could become a flagship case demonstrating the potential for Korean novel drugs to achieve global commercialization beyond domestic success. "It is not easy for a Korean novel drug to maintain blockbuster status in the domestic prescription market over the long term, but K-CAB is expected to extend its momentum through global clinical trials and entry into the U.S. market, which will inevitably drive prescriptions even higher," a pharmaceutical industry official said.
