Daewoong Infion has become the first in the world to win halal certification for bio drugs derived from animal cells.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical said on Jan. 6 that its Indonesian joint venture, Daewoong Infion, has won halal certification for epodion, an "erythropoietin" material, or EPO, from the Indonesian halal certification agency. (LPPOM MUI)
Daewoong Infion is a joint venture established by Daewoong Pharmaceutical in 2012 with Indonesian firm Infion. It has completed construction of Indonesia’s first bio-medicine plant in Surabaya and is the first local manufacturer to produce and sell biosimilar drug epodion.
Epodion is anemic treatment for chronic renal failure and anti-cancer patients such as kidney dialysis. It obtained a sales license from the Indonesian Ministry of Food and Drug Administration in December 2016 and was released in the Indonesian market in April 2017.
Six months after its release, it has topped the market share of the Indonesian EPO. It currently holds more than 40 percent of the market.
The world's Muslim population is estimated to be around 1.8 billion. The number is expected to reach about 3 billion by 2060.
Following the momentum, Daewoong Infion plans to win halal certification for all products it produces in Indonesia, including Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), and growth hormone-based Caretropin.
"We will push to enter the Middle East drug market worth 80 trillion won based on halal certification in Indonesia, the largest country in Islam," said CEO Seo Chang-woo of Daewoong Infion.