Although Hanmi acquired FDA approval in August, first among Korea’s modified drugs, it took four months for Hanmi to begin the sales of Esomezol in the U.S. due to a patent dispute with multinational drug company Astra Zeneca.
Hanmi Pharm started supplying Esomezol in the U.S. through its partner company Amneal. Esomezol is a new medicine that is created by modifying Astra Zeneca’s reflux esophagitis drug Nexium which has generated annual sales of about $2.3 billion in the U.S. market alone. The price of Esomezol is about 30 percent cheaper than that of Nexium.
Until next May when the patent of Nexium will expire, Esomezol would compete only with Nexium in the U.S. market. Hanmi expects to generate more than 50 billion won in sales during the first year of its entry into the U.S. market.