Alvogen cleared to market Qsymia in South Korea

Privately-owned US drugmaker Alvogen has obtained marketing approval for Qsymia (phentermine and topiramate extended-release) from the South Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in partnership with Vivus Inc (Nasdaq: VVUS).

Under an agreement between the parties from 2017, Alvogen is responsible for obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals and sales and marketing activities in Korea.

Petar Vazharov executive vice president, sales and marketing of Alvogen APAC region, says: “Alvogen Korea has traditionally a strong position in anti-obesity therapies and brand awareness. The approval of Qsymia is an important upgrade to the existing portfolio and is our response to the increasing competition from a newer generation of anti-obesity products in the Korean market. The product was approved by US FDA in 2012 for long term weight management. As we are celebrating the approval, our team in Korea is actively preparing for the product launch.”