Daewon Pharmaceutical Launches In-House Manufacturing of Osteoarthritis Drug Sinbaro

Daewon Pharmaceutical has launched full-scale in-house production of Sinbaro, a natural-product prescription drug for osteoarthritis, completing an integrated system covering the entire process from research and development through manufacturing, retail and marketing.

The company said Monday it had finished building its own Sinbaro manufacturing facility and begun production. What started as a co-marketing partnership has evolved — through an asset acquisition — into fully independent production capacity, positioning Daewon Pharmaceutical to ensure a stable supply of Sinbaro and strengthen its foothold in the musculoskeletal treatment market.

Sinbaro, introduced in 2011, is Korea's fourth approved natural-product new drug and is prescribed as a specialist medication for anti-inflammatory, analgesic and osteoarthritic treatment of the joints. Daewon Pharmaceutical entered a co-marketing agreement with GC Biopharma in 2018, taking charge of domestic retail, marketing and sales. In 2024, it acquired all product-related assets, including the manufacturing and marketing license, through an asset transfer agreement.

Having fully incorporated Sinbaro into its own product lineup since January last year, Daewon Pharmaceutical has now completed a self-contained business structure with the launch of in-house production. The company invested about 5 billion won ($3.62 million) to expand factory facilities and upgrade its quality management systems ahead of the transition. It plans to respond swiftly to shifts in market demand while maximizing operational efficiency.

Daewon Pharmaceutical intends to combine the marketing strengths of Sinbaro with those of Peluby — its proprietary blockbuster anti-inflammatory analgesic — to maximize synergies across its musculoskeletal portfolio.

"Through this in-house production, we have secured an independent supply chain that allows us to directly manage every stage from raw material procurement to product shipment," a company official said. "We will continue to develop Sinbaro into a core flagship product leading the musculoskeletal market, backed by production stability and cost competitiveness."