First Korean generic to debut in the U.S.

SEOUL, South Korea — Daewoong Pharmaceutical on Wednesday announced it will launch its generic antibiotic Meroprenem in the United States. According to multiple reports, Meroprenem is not only Daewoong’s first product to be offered in the U.S., but also the first Korean generic drug sold in the U.S.

Meroprenem is a generic of Merem, developed by AstraZeneca, as a Carbapenem-series antibiotic widely used in hospitals to treat various ailments ranging from bacterial infections to general diseases.

Seoul-based Daewoong’s Meroprenem was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2015. The U.S. market for the antiobiotic was pegged at $145 million in 2015.

"With the release of Meropenem, we expect to contribute to enhancing the image of Korean pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. pharmaceutical market,” Daewoong Pharmaceutical Vice Chairman Lee Jong-wook said. “Daewoong will continue to advance into the global market, including advanced countries, and grow into a global healthcare group.”