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World’s First Gene Therapy for Osteoarthritis to Be Available in Asia-Pacific

Mundipharma to bring Invossa-K to nine more countries in APAC.

Mundipharma has acquired the exclusive rights for Invossa-K in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Australia and New Zealand from Kolon Life Sciences.

Invossa-K is a non-surgical treatment for osteoarthritis pain with long-term efficacy that has been hailed as the world’s first cell-mediated gene therapy for the disease. It is an intra-articular injection that helps reduce pain and improves the articular immune environment to enhance self-recovery of the articular joint. It has demonstrated functional improvement of the articular joint for one year following a single injection – based on a U.S. phase II clinical trial and a Korean phase III clinical trial.

According to the World Health Organisation, osteoarthritis is the single most common cause of disability in older people with an estimated 10 to 15 percent of people over 60 suffering from it. Its prevalence is increasing. By 2050, 130 million people worldwide are projected to suffer from the disease – 40 million of whom will be severely disabled.

This massive unmet patient need made it a priority for Mundipharma and Kolon Life Sciences to extend its partnership not only in Korea, where it was first approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2017, but also to the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Japan.

Under the terms of the partnership, Mundipharma is responsible for the development, marketing and distribution of Invossa-K to medical professionals and hospitals in the agreed territories.[APBN]