The new product reduces the tablet size of the existing Esoduo S formulation to ease long-term use; it contains half the active ingredients of Esoduo S 20/700mg while maintaining equivalent efficacy, and is designed to strengthen the Esoduo lineup and expand the company's share of the gastrointestinal treatment market

Esoduo Mini, a gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment by Chong Kun Dang. [Provided by Chong Kun Dang]
Esoduo Mini, a gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment by Chong Kun Dang. [Provided by Chong Kun Dang]

Chong Kun Dang is accelerating its push into the gastrointestinal market with a new product that significantly reduces the tablet size of its flagship gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment lineup.

The pharmaceutical company announced Tuesday the launch of Esoduo Mini, a smaller-tablet version of its existing gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment Esoduo S, designed to maximize patient convenience.

Esoduo Mini was developed to reduce the physical discomfort patients experience when swallowing tablets — a particular concern for those with gastroesophageal reflux disease, which frequently recurs and often requires long-term medication. The notably smaller formulation is intended to improve medication adherence among patients who have difficulty swallowing pills.

The new product's efficacy and safety are consistent with the existing treatment. Esoduo Mini has demonstrated pharmaceutical equivalence to Esoduo S 20/700mg, containing half the amounts of esomeprazole, the main active ingredient, and sodium bicarbonate, the antacid component, offering greater flexibility in prescribing and dosing.

The Esoduo brand is a combination drug that pairs esomeprazole, a proton pump inhibitor, with the antacid sodium bicarbonate. Its key advantage over single-ingredient treatments is a faster onset of action while maintaining esomeprazole's potent acid-suppressing effect.

When taken, sodium bicarbonate rapidly raises the pH level inside the stomach, preventing esomeprazole — which is vulnerable to highly acidic environments — from breaking down in the stomach before it reaches the intestine. This mechanism allows the drug to reach peak blood concentration within 30 minutes of ingestion, providing rapid relief from heartburn and other pain symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

"Esoduo Mini builds on the combination drug's existing strength of fast symptom relief by adding the market's core demand for greater ease of use, raising the product's overall quality," a company official said. "By strengthening the Esoduo brand lineup, we will maximize synergies with our existing product range and steadily expand our share of the gastrointestinal disease treatment market."


silverpaper@heraldcorp.com