SK Biopharmaceuticals announced on the 29th that President Lee Dong-hoon joined the Presidential Economic Mission to Brazil and signed a strategic business agreement with local pharmaceutical company Eurofarma.

On the back of this agreement, SK Biopharmaceuticals will launch its new anti-epileptic drug cenobamate in Brazil and expand its penetration of the Latin American market. The company will also strengthen cooperation in new drug research and development for central nervous system (CNS) disorders, joint research on rare epilepsies, and the digital healthcare field.

According to SK Biopharmaceuticals, it was the only Korean pharmaceutical and biotechnology company participating in this economic mission. This is the first time that President Lee Dong-hoon has joined a presidential economic mission.

In São Paulo, Brazil, Lee reviewed the preparation status for the launch of cenobamate and the current state of cooperation with Eurofarma, and discussed plans for expanding research and development and business operations.

Cenobamate is scheduled to be officially launched in the Brazilian market through Eurofarma in August. The local product name will be “Xcopri.”

SK Biopharmaceuticals previously launched cenobamate in Peru and Chile. Using its entry into Brazil, the largest pharmaceutical market in Latin America, as a springboard, the company plans to gradually expand the number of countries where the product is available.

The two companies will work to establish cenobamate in the Brazilian market by leveraging Eurofarma’s local regulatory approvals and distribution and sales network. In addition to research to expand indications and enhance the therapeutic value of cenobamate, they will pursue collaboration on CNS pipelines and joint research and development for rare epilepsies.

They will also expand their digital healthcare business through their existing joint venture, Mentis Care. By developing solutions linked to mobile applications, they plan to manage seizures and overall health conditions of epilepsy patients and build a platform that enables medical professionals to monitor patients’ status.

SK Biopharmaceuticals and Eurofarma established Mentis Care in 2024 to promote an artificial intelligence-based digital healthcare business. Under the latest agreement, they decided to broaden the scope of cooperation beyond pharmaceutical sales to include patient management and the utilization of medical data.

Lee Dong-hoon, President of SK Biopharmaceuticals, said, “We have strengthened our collaboration with Eurofarma not only to expand the market for cenobamate but also across CNS pipelines, research and development of rare epilepsies, and digital healthcare,” adding, “Leveraging the launch in Brazil, we will continue our cooperation so that cenobamate can be supplied to patients and healthcare professionals across Latin America.”

Popular News