Cancer pain drug hits global market

Kominox, a medicine for cancer-related pain

By Jung Min-ho

Other than making a complete recovery, one of the biggest wishes for cancer patients is to be free from pain. A CEO of Korean pharmaceutical firm believes he has found the way.

Komipharm CEO Yang Yong-jin said Kominox, a medicine for cancer-related pain, is the next big thing in the world’s pharmaceutical industry.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the regulatory body for therapeutic goods in Australia, allowed the medicine to be sold from last month under its Access to Unapproved Therapeutic Goods via the Special Access Scheme.

“This means Kominox is only one step away from getting the TGA’s sales approval,” he said. “As soon as we get clinical outcomes from 120 people, who took the medicine, we will apply for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval.”

He believes that Kominox, which his company has developed over the past 12 years, will be sold in the U.S. and European markets in the near future once the medicine gets TGA’s green light.

“That’s why I went to Australia with the medicine,” he said.

For now, cancer patients take psychoactive drugs such as morphine, oxycodone and hydromorphone to relieve pain.

He said Kominox is not one of these. Moreover, it is much more effective as painkiller and has fewer side effects than such drugs.

“I hope Kominox will help those who suffer cancer-related pain in Korea and beyond,” he said.

He believes Kominox also has anti-cancer effect, which has not yet been recognized by the TGA. He said the effect will naturally shows as cancer patients take it.

“We expect it gets TGA’s approval sometimes next year,” a Komipharm official said. “We have decided to provide 35,000 pills of Kominox for free in Australia.”

According to the Ministry of Health Welfare, there are more than 900,000 cancer patients in Korea. And many of them take psychoactive drugs to relive pain.