Handok Launches Tenelia M SR Tablet,

An IMD DPP-4 Inhibitor

–  Handok has used DRM technology to reduce the size of the Tenelia M SR Tablet for easy swallowing.

– One pill a day controls blood sugar levels for 24 hours, helping 64.7 percent of those suffering from diabetes to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Handok (Chairman and CEO: Kim Young-jin) has followed up the success of its drug Tenelia® with the launch of the Tenelia M SR Tablet (teneligliptin and metformin), a new DPP4 inhibitor combination drug.

The Tenelia M SR Tablet is an incrementally modified drug (IMD), born exclusively of Handok’s research and developmental technology and combines the strong DPP-4 inhibiting effect of Tenelia with metformin. Handok has applied its Dual-Release Micro-Coating (DRM) technology to combine quick-release and slow-release effects in a single pill, at the same time minimizing the size of the pill for easy swallowing. Handok had previously won the Korea New Pharmaceuticals Development Award in 2009 for the application of this same DRM technology to its Amaryl-Mex SR Tablet.

For those suffering from diabetes, a single Tenelia M SR Tablet has been proven effective in stabilizing blood sugar levels for a full 24 hours. In clinic trials conducted in Korea, 64.7 percent of those who took a combination of teneligliptin and metformin (similar to combinations found in the Tenelia M SR Tablet) for 16 weeks showed a target blood sugar level of HbAlc < 7.0%. Prior to treatment, participants showed a 0.9 percent lower glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level of 16.79 mg/dL.

Tenelia M SR Tablets are available in three different tenelia-metformin combinations: 20/1000 mg, 10/500 mg, and 10/750 mg and cost KRW 739, KRW 370, and KRW 370, respectively. Of all the DPP-4 inhibitors that contain metformin available on the market today, Tenelia M SR Tablets are the most affordable in terms of cost per day.

Handok’s Chairman Kim Young-jin remarked: “Handok has been striving for the last four decades to become Korea’s leading provider of a comprehensive range of diabetic solutions. The strong DPP-4 inhibitor, Tenelia, is the culmination of these efforts. We plan to distribute our newest product, the Tenelia M SR Tablet, not only in Japan, its country of origin, but in other countries as well.”

Since developing its first diabetic treatment, Daonyl, back in 1973, Handok has continued to build a reputation as a top provider of comprehensive diabetic solutions over the last four decades. The company is responsible not only for diabetic drugs such as Tenelia® and Amaryl®, but also medical devices such as Barozen®, a blood sugar meter. Handok was also the first pharmaceutical company in Korea to adopt a systematic training program on diabetes management (“Essential Guideline for Diabetes Management” or “EGDM”). The company has also been operating its Confident Footsteps Campaign since 2009, a public campaign intended to raise awareness of proper foot care for people with diabetes.

Tenelia, launched by Handok in August 2015, is a powerful DPP-4 inhibitor that has been shown to be effective in helping 7 out of 10 diabetics maintain their target blood sugar levels. Tenelia is by far the most effective of all DPP-4 inhibitor drugs currently available on the market; a single tablet can keep blood sugar levels normal from morning until night. It can also be administered to all nephropathic patients. Tenelia, originally developed by Mitsubishi Tanabe of Japan, is exclusively manufactured and distributed by Handok in Korea.