Jaqbo, a gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment that dissolves in the mouth without water, delivers the same level of drug absorption in the body as the conventional tablet, according to a new study. The finding is expected to offer a more convenient dosing option for older patients and others who have difficulty swallowing pills.
Onconic Therapeutics (476060.KQ) said on the 23rd that research evaluating the absorption characteristics and safety of the Jaqbo orally disintegrating tablet (zastaprazan citrate) had been published in the international journal Pharmacology Research & Perspectives.
Jaqbo is a gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment in the potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) class, which suppresses gastric acid secretion, and was launched in October 2024. The orally disintegrating tablet was developed to be taken without water by dissolving in the mouth, won approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety last year and was launched in January this year.
The study was conducted in 54 healthy adults. Researchers compared the 20-milligram Jaqbo orally disintegrating tablet, taken either with or without water, against the conventional tablet, measuring how much of the drug was absorbed in the body along with the rate of absorption and safety.
The orally disintegrating tablet met bioequivalence criteria against the conventional tablet both when taken with water and when taken without it, the study found. Bioequivalence means the amount and rate of drug absorbed into the body fall within a statistically equivalent range even when different formulations are taken. The time for the drug to reach peak blood concentration was also similar, and no serious adverse events occurred.
The findings are expected to serve as evidence supporting the characteristics of the orally disintegrating tablet, which can be taken without water. They are seen as particularly useful for improving dosing convenience for older patients who have trouble swallowing pills or in settings where water is hard to obtain.
"The Jaqbo orally disintegrating tablet met bioequivalence with the conventional tablet under both conditions, taken with water and without water," the researchers said. "It is significant that we have presented scientific evidence on the drug absorption characteristics and safety of the orally disintegrating tablet through an international journal."