São Paulo, February 8 2022 – Eurofarma, the pharmaceutical company that most heavily invests in innovation in Brazil, is launching Suganon® (evogliptin) in Latin America, an innovative therapy for type 2 diabetes patients.

Suganon® (evogliptin) is a new DPP-4 enzyme inhibitor, which features the benefits of offering convenient dosing, as well as having a low potential for interaction with other medications, ensuring greater ease and safety for prescribers and type 2 diabetes patients¹-³. The new drug for oral use was specifically studied in the Brazilian population in 10 national research centers located in the North, Northeast, Southeast, and Distrito Federal regions, demonstrating efficacy (average reduction of HbA1c greater than 1) in glycemic control⁴.

The DPP-4 inhibitor class is considered very safe, is not associated with hypoglycemia, and does not cause weight gain⁵. Its action mechanism promotes an increase in the blood concentration of active GLP-1, a hormone related to the release of insulin after eating and, consequently, reduces post-meal glycemia. Evogliptin’s differential is a high selectivity of DPP-4 inhibition, which translates into additional safety since it has no off-target action, that is, it does not promote inhibition of other enzymes of a similar structure⁶.

“Cardiometabolic diseases are important because of their high prevalence and associated complications. Suganon® (evogliptin) is an innovative, highly selective drug, with simple clinical management, for any type 2 diabetes mellitus patient profile, with proven safety and efficacy in the Brazilian population,” explains Martha Penna, vice president of Innovation at Eurofarma.

Suganon® (evogliptin) was developed by Dong-A, a South Korean pharmaceutical company, and approved by the country’s agency since 2015. Eurofarma, which conducted a clinical trial in the Brazilian population⁴, has a partnership to manufacture, register, and market the product throughout Latin America. In Argentina and Bolivia, the product was already launched in 2021. The launch is expected in Brazil in the first half of 2022, and in other Latin American countries by 2023.

“We are very happy that Eurofarma is bringing Suganon® (evogliptin) to Latin American patients suffering from type 2 diabetes. This launch of Suganon® is a valuable result of a trusted and long-term partnership between Eurofarma and Dong-A, building on the innovation championed by both companies to deliver a high-impact differential to patients,” adds Hee-Beom Park, Executive Director, Head of Development at Dong-A ST.

Epidemiology of Diabetes in Brazil and Worldwide

Type 2 diabetes is highly prevalent. The condition is characterized by elevated glucose (sugar) in the blood resulting from the inadequate action of insulin produced by the pancreas. Progressive failure of pancreatic function occurs as the disease progresses, with less insulin production.

According to the International Diabetes Federation’s Atlas 2019, Brazil is the country with the largest number of people with diabetes in Latin America and ranks 5th in the world, with 16.8 million adults between 20 and 79 years old with this disease⁷. It is estimated that by 2030, 40.2 million people in Latin America will be diagnosed with diabetes. An alarming fact is that one in three patients with type 2 diabetes are not properly diagnosed and are at risk of developing serious complications that directly impact quality of life⁷.

Suganon® Tolerability

Suganon® (evogliptin) is a modern drug with high tolerability and a low incidence of adverse events⁸.

Sources: 1. McCormack PL. Evogliptin: First Global Approval. Drugs. 2015 Nov;75(17):2045-9 2. Kim MK, Chae YN, Kim HD, et al. DA-1229, a novel and potent DPP4 inhibitor, improves insulin resistance and delays the onset of diabetes. Life Sci. 2012 Jan 2;90(1-2):21-9. 3. Hong T, Jin BH, Kim CO, et al. Pharmacokinetics and safety of evogliptin in hepatically impaired patients. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2021 Jul;87(7):2757-2766. 4. Cercato C, Felício JS, Russo LAT, et al. Efficacy and safety of evogliptin in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Brazilian population: a randomized bridging study. Diabetol Metab Syndr. 2019 Dec 19;11:107. 5. Deacon CF. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a comparative review. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2011 (13) 7-18. 6. Nabeno M, Akahoshi F, Kishida H, et al. A comparative study of the binding modes of recently launched dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors in the active site. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013;434:191-196. 7. Atlas IDF 2019 – Internacional Diabetes Federation. Last accessed on July 29, 2021. 8. Oh H, Nguyen HD, Yoon IM, Kim MS. Efficacy and Tolerability of Evogliptin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis with Bayesian Inference Through a Quality-management System. Clin Ther. 2021 Jul 22:S0149-2918(21)00231-9

About Eurofarma Group

As the first multinational pharmaceutical enterprise with 100% Brazilian capital, the Eurofarma Group has been operating in the pharmaceutical industry since its establishment in 1972, producing and marketing innovative healthcare products and services to improve people’s quality of life. A very diversified company, Eurofarma operates in all major segments, such as Prescription, Non-Prescription, Generic, Hospital, and Oncology. In Brazil alone, it offers more than 430 products, serves all medical specialties, covering upwards of 200 therapeutic classes, accounting for 80% of the total market.

The Eurofarma Group is present in 20 countries, with 10 manufacturing plants in Latin America. Reported net sales totaled BRL 7 billion in 2021 and the Group employs over 7,600 people.

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