Maple Grove Plant of Polaris Welcomes First Asian New Drug Client, Signs Manufacturing Collaboration Agreement with Korean Pharmaceutical Company

Polaris (6472-TW) announced today that its Maple Grove facility in Minnesota, USA, which possesses large-scale oral dosage production capacity, has welcomed its first Asian new drug client. The company has signed a manufacturing collaboration agreement with Onconic Therapeutics, a new drug development subsidiary of Korea’s First Pharmacy, to assist in advancing the U.S. clinical development and preparing for subsequent commercial-scale production of JAQBO, a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) tablet for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Polaris stated that under the agreement, its Maple Grove plant will provide quality control and stability testing for JAQBO, as well as support the preparation of Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) documentation required for Onconic’s planned Phase III clinical trials in the United States.

Polaris explained that JAQBO is a novel drug independently developed by Onconic. It received marketing approval in South Korea in April 2024 and was launched in October of the same year. Since its launch, prescription volumes of JAQBO have steadily increased in Korea, and Onconic has successively signed commercialization partnership agreements in multiple international markets, accelerating its overseas expansion.

Regarding the market landscape, Polaris noted that gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) affects approximately 20% of the U.S. population. As clinical treatment needs evolve, P-CAB therapies—known for their rapid onset and sustained acid suppression—are gaining increasing market attention. Compared to the Asian market, the availability of P-CAB drugs in the U.S. remains limited, creating potential growth opportunities for next-generation treatment products.