SK Biopharmaceuticals expands Brazil and Latin America push with epilepsy drug cenobamate
During President Lee Jae Myung’s Brazil visit, SK Biopharmaceuticals expanded its Eurofarma partnership as it prepares to launch its epilepsy treatment and broaden R&D and digital healthcare ties across Latin America.
on July 28.
SK Biopharmaceuticals, the only pharmaceutical and biotechnology company in President Lee Jae Myung’s economic delegation to Brazil, is accelerating its expansion into Latin America with the launch of its self-developed epilepsy drug.
The company aims to establish Brazil as its regional hub while expanding its partnership to encompass research and development (R&D) and digital healthcare.
SK Biopharmaceuticals signed a memorandum of understanding with its Brazilian pharmaceutical partner Eurofarma regarding its epilepsy drug cenobamate, according to the company on Wednesday. Cenobamate, developed by SK Biopharmaceuticals, has grown into the company’s flagship product since its U.S. launch in 2020.
Under the MOU — signed during President Lee’s state visit to Brazil — the companies will work to enhance cenobamate’s competitiveness, jointly develop central nervous system (CNS) drug pipelines and conduct research on rare forms of epilepsy. The two also plan to expand their digital healthcare business through their existing joint venture, Mentis Care.
Cenobamate will be launched in Brazil next month. Following its earlier launches in Peru and Chile, the Brazil rollout marks the company’s full-scale push into the Latin American market of about 600 million people.
One reason SK Biopharmaceuticals was selected to join the economic delegation is its experience overseeing the entire process from novel drug development to global commercialization.
The company entered the Latin American market in 2022 by signing a commercialization agreement with Eurofarma that covered 17 countries. Although Latin America accounts for only a small share of its business, the company said the expansion is meaningful because it will allow more epilepsy patients across the region to access cenobamate. Its strategy is to establish cenobamate as a leading epilepsy treatment in Latin America.
“This presidential visit to Brazil is especially meaningful because it allows us not only to expand the cenobamate market with Eurofarma, but also to strengthen a comprehensive cooperation framework covering CNS pipelines, R&D for rare epilepsies and digital healthcare,” said Lee Dong-hoon, president of SK Biopharmaceuticals.
BY CHOI EUN-KYUNG [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]