Sanofi-Aventis Korea, a local unit of French drug giant Sanofi, said it received a government approval to sell a new diabetes treatment Soliqua, a combination drug of Lantus (ingredient: insulin glargine) and Lyxumia (ingredient: lixisenatide), in the domestic market.

Soliqua helps restore the function of the pancreas and has efficacy in diabetes patients having difficulty controlling blood sugar levels.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety granted the sales approval for Soliqua pen injection on Thursday.

The new treatment works together with metformin for type-2 diabetes patients, who experience insufficient control of blood sugar even after taking metformin or oral hypoglycemic agents. Patients can also get Soliqua injection along with metformin when they cannot sufficiently lower the blood sugar levels even after a single injection of basal insulin, or when the blood sugar level is now low enough after combining the injections of basal insulin and metformin.

Soliqua pen injection efficiently reduces the level of blood sugar as long-acting Lantus and Lyxumia working separately. With insulin coming in, the treatment plays a role of the pancreas, while lixisenatide, the latest glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, lowers the blood sugar level.

Diabetes patients can use once-a-day Soliqua pen injection one hour before a meal and inject the drug beneath the skin. The treatment works for 24 hours to control the blood sugar levels, which is expected to be a new alternative treatment in the fight against diabetes.

Most common side effects of Soliqua include hypoglycemia, nausea, headache, runny nose, sore throat, allergy, and diarrhea. First or the second injections are more likely to cause more nausea and diarrhea, according to the company.

Sanofi received the FDA approval for Soliqua pen injection in November last year and launched the drug in the U.S. in January this year.

lhs@docdocdoc.co.kr

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