Kwangdong obtains patent for male fertility drug

By Lee Kyung-min

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical’s Kyungokko medicine

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical obtained a patent from the Japan Patent Office for a drug ingredient in its Kyungokko medicine that helps treat male infertility, the company said Sunday. The patent expires on Feb. 27, 2035.

The soft extract made of rehmannia glutinosa, poria cocos, ginseng and honey, is used to treat fatigue in patients who underwent surgery or those who suffer from chronic exhaustion in general, according to the company.

The patent was based on a firm-commissioned study conducted by Kyung Hee University for one year starting in December 2011.

According to the comparative lab rat tests, the control group rats injected with the extract showed an increase in the weight of their testicles, sperm motility and sperm count.

“We hope our product will treat male infertility, potentially allowing previously infertile men to conceive naturally,” a company official said.

Kyungokko was first exported to Japan in 1981 and its popularity there led to the formation of a group of pharmacists studying the Korean product, the firm added.