Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Ferring Pharmaceuticals Korea announced on Monday that they had signed a joint sales agreement on January 7 for Minirin Tablets and Minirin Melt Sublingual Tablets (active ingredient: desmopressin acetate), treatments for nocturia and nocturnal enuresis, and Nocdurna Sublingual Tablets (desmopressin acetate), a treatment for nocturia symptoms.
The agreement stipulates that Hanmi Pharmaceutical will manage the entire domestic supply and distribution of Minirin and Nocdurna. Korea Ferring Pharmaceuticals will handle sales and marketing for general hospitals, while Hanmi Pharmaceutical will focus on clinics and smaller medical facilities.
Notably, Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s sales and marketing efforts will target medium-sized hospitals with 30 to 300 beds. These facilities are where most nocturia patients seek treatment, potentially accelerating access to both products in primary and secondary healthcare settings.
Minirin, a synthetic analog of the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin, alleviates nocturia symptoms by reducing nighttime urine production through its antidiuretic action.
It is widely prescribed as the standard treatment for primary nocturnal enuresis in children aged 5 and older. The drug is also effective in treating nocturia symptoms in adults, which account for about 88% of cases related to excessive nighttime urine production.
Nocdurna, developed as a low-dose formulation of Minirin for adult nocturia, specifically addresses concerns about hyponatremia risk in patients 65 and older. Its sublingual formulation also improves ease of use and bioavailability.
Recent studies have highlighted that nocturia not only impairs sleep quality but also increases fall risk among older adults, significantly impacting quality of life. This has fueled interest in effective treatment options with strong safety profiles.
Jae-hyun Park, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hanmi Pharmaceutical, stated that this partnership enables them to provide clinically proven nocturia treatments to patients across Korea reliably. It is committed to leveraging our extensive sales and marketing capabilities and field expertise to enhance collaboration with healthcare professionals, ensuring more patients can benefit from the therapeutic value of Minirin and Nocdurna.