– Handok set to build the Ketotop plant at the manufacturing site in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province.

– Aiming to complete the construction by 2018, it poses to meet an annual production target of 390 million plasters to secure Ketotop plaster sales and exports and to produce new patch products.

Handok (Chairman & CEO Young-jin Kim) celebrated a groundbreaking event of the “Ketotop plant” in June 2 at the manufacturing plant in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province Korea. With the gross floor area of 8,385㎡ and being expected to produce a maximum 390 million plasters per year, the Ketotop plant will operate to exclusively manufacture plaster products. Existing Ketotop products, new Ketotop-line products of Handok, and various patches will be manufactured in this plant. With the total investment amounting to 33.7 billion won, Handok aims to complete the plant construction by January 2018, and begin manufacturing in February 2018.

The new Ketotop plant will be equipped with eco-friendly production facilities such as high efficiency dust collectors which minimize the amount of gases being released to the atmosphere. Furthermore, for the safety of employees, delivery of organic solvents will be managed automatically and low-noise/low-vibration equipment will be used. A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and Building Management System (BMS), which are control systems used in the existing Handok manufacturing plant, will be installed as well to enable integrated control and management of information at the manufacturing site.

Handok Chairman Young-jin Kim said, “Ketotop plaster is an outstanding product and has been on the top for the last 21 years in the transdermal arthritis drug market in Korea.” He continued, “The new Ketotop plant will allow Handok to increase the production of Ketotop plasters and enhance its quality to meet the highest global standard, providing a platform for Ketotop plaster to be recognized as a global brand.”

Handok recently scouted Dr. Je-pil Ryu to lead the product development research at the Central Research Center. Dr. Ryu has devoted 25 years in research and development of over 10 types of patches and other medicines in and outside Korea, especially in the U.S. In addition to developing Ketotop line products, he will be spearheading the R&D efforts on new medicines and products which will be showcased to advanced markets around the globe.