The Phase 3 clinical trial results for Korea's 37th new drug, Ja Q Bo Tablet, have been published in a leading gastroenterology journal, marking a significant milestone toward global market entry.

Onconic Therapeutics, led by CEO John Kim, announced on August 21st that the Phase 3 clinical trial results for their new drug, Ja Q Bo (active ingredient: Zastaprazan), a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), have been featured in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, a prestigious SCIE-indexed journal with an Impact Factor of 10.2.

The published study, titled Randomized, Double-Blind, Active-Controlled Phase 3 Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Zastaprazan Compared with Esomeprazole in Erosive Esophagitis, compares the efficacy and safety of Zastaprazan, a P-CAB class drug, against Esomeprazole, a PPI class drug, in patients with erosive esophagitis.

The trial, led by Professor Hoonyong Jeong of the Gastroenterology Department at Asan Medical Center in Seoul, involved 300 patients from major hospitals across Korea, all diagnosed with erosive GERD via endoscopy. The study was double-blind and randomized, with patients divided into two groups: 149 received 20 mg of Zastaprazan, while 151 received 40 mg of Esomeprazole, with treatment lasting up to 8 weeks.

After the 8-week treatment period, Zastaprazan demonstrated superior efficacy with a treatment rate of 97.9%, compared to 94.9% in the control group. Remarkably, after just 4 weeks, Zastaprazan showed a treatment rate of 95.1%, 7.44% higher than the 87.7% observed in the control group, highlighting its rapid onset of effectiveness.

Analysis of side effects revealed no statistically significant differences between Zastaprazan and Esomeprazole, suggesting a comparable safety profile to the established standard treatment.

Currently, Zastaprazan is undergoing additional clinical trials to expand its indications beyond erosive GERD, including the prevention of peptic ulcers and NSAID-induced peptic ulcers.

John Kim, CEO of Onconic Therapeutics, expressed his satisfaction with the results, stating, "We are pleased to share the Phase 3 clinical trial results of the K-drug Zastaprazan with the global medical community. We will continue to focus on the rapid commercialization of Zastaprazan in Korea and abroad, as well as on expanding its indications."