SK Biopharm Posts Record Quarterly Operating Profit of 97.1 Billion Won in Q2
Sales Hit 247.4 Billion Won, Operating Profit Up 56.9%
Cenobamate Maintains Strong Growth in U.S. Market
On August 5, SK Biopharm announced that it recorded consolidated sales of 247.4 billion won and operating profit of 97.1 billion won in the second quarter of this year. Compared to the same period last year, sales increased by 40.3% and operating profit grew by 56.9%.
The strong performance was driven by the robust growth of cenobamate, its flagship epilepsy treatment (sold as Xcopri in the United States). U.S. sales reached 224.4 billion won, up 13.5% from the previous quarter and 45.6% from the same period last year. U.S. cumulative sales for the first half of the year were 422.1 billion won.
Prescription volume in the U.S. also continued to grow. Total prescriptions (TRx) in the second quarter were approximately 143,000 cases, an 8.4% increase compared to the previous quarter. In June, monthly prescriptions reached 49,155 cases. New patient prescriptions (NBRx) averaged more than 1,800 cases per month.
SK Biopharm plans to further increase cenobamate sales in the U.S. in the second half of the year by expanding direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising and marketing efforts targeting healthcare professionals and patients. The company is also working to broaden indications and formulations. It has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) for a suspension formulation in the U.S., and plans to file additional approval applications within the year to expand indications to primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures (PGTC) and pediatric use.
The company is also making progress in expanding its presence in overseas markets. In Asia, regulatory approval in Korea and product launch in China have been completed, and the company is currently pursuing regulatory approval in Japan. In Latin America, following launches in Peru and Chile, SK Biopharm is preparing for a product launch in Brazil later this month.
The company is also ramping up research and development to secure next-generation growth drivers. SK Biopharm is strengthening its pipeline with a focus on central nervous system (CNS) drugs, radiopharmaceutical therapeutics (RPT), and targeted protein degradation (TPD). In June, the company began joint research with Insilico Medicine to discover new drug candidates using AI technology.
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Donghoon Lee, CEO of SK Biopharm, stated, "We are maintaining growth in operating profit while continuing to invest in research and development and marketing," adding, "We will continue our growth momentum in the second half of the year through further achievements in research and business."
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