US-based M8 Pharmaceuticals, an Acino company, announced on Wednesday that it has entered into an exclusive licensing and distribution agreement with South Korea-based LG Chem Ltd.

The agreement has been signed for M8 to market, commercialise, and distribute Hyruan One in Brazil, and Zemiglo and Zemimet SR (Zemidou SR in Mexico) in Mexico, Central America, and the Dominican Republic.

Gemigliptin, sold under the brand names Zemiglo and Zemimet SR (Zemiduo SR in Mexico), is a reversible, potent, selective, competitive, and long-acting inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)-4, to be utilised as monotherapy or in combination with metformin or sulfonylureas (SU) intended to treat hyperglycaemia in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Presently, the once-daily Zemimet SR (Zemiduo SR in Mexico) is the number one brand in the Type two diabetes market in South Korea. Hyruan One, a single-injection treatment of hyaluronic acid (HA), also called sodium hyaluronate, is intended to replace diseased synovial fluid and restore the loss of viscoelasticity in joints caused by osteoarthritis (OA).

Joel Barlan, Acino head of Latin America, said, 'We are delighted to enter this partnership with LG Chem. The addition of Zemiglo and Zemimet SR to M8's portfolio marks an important milestone in our innovation journey. We continue to pursue our purpose of increasing patient access to quality healthcare, collaborating with leading pharmaceutical companies like LG Chem to develop a pipeline of specialty treatments for the benefit of our patients.'