Kwangdong Pharmaceutical (009290) is bringing back Kwangdong Wonbang Ushinchungsimwon, a traditional herbal medicine it stopped producing about two years ago after raw material prices surged.
The company said on the 9th that it is relaunching the product, whose production was suspended in 2024 because of the spike in ingredient costs.
Kwangdong Wonbang Ushinchungsimwon first went on sale in 1974 and marked the starting point of the company's Chungsimwon brand. It is made by precisely blending more than 20 selected herbal ingredients, including 38 milligrams of musk and 45 milligrams of cattle gallstone, following the prescription recorded in classical texts. Herbal preparations that follow prescriptions in the Donguibogam, a classic Korean medical text, exactly as written are classified as wonbang, or original formulas, while those with modernized adjustments to ingredient levels are classified as byeonbang, or modified formulas. The relaunched product falls into the original formula category.
Cattle gallstone, the key ingredient in Ushinchungsimwon, is a herbal material with limited global trade and supply volumes, leaving its price highly volatile depending on market conditions. In 2024, the price of the ingredient per kilogram had jumped about 133% over two years, and the company halted production of the product as volatility in the raw material market widened.
Kwangdong Pharmaceutical decided to resume supply after pharmacies and consumers continued to request the product's return following the suspension. It has relaunched two versions, a liquid and a pill form, broadening consumer choice.
Kwangdong's Ushinchungsimwon line has maintained its standing in the herbal medicine market by holding to its principles on ingredients and quality. According to pharmaceutical market research firm IQVIA, the line held about 70% of the domestic Ushinchungsimwon market last year, ranking first for the 12th consecutive year.
An official at Kwangdong Pharmaceutical said the relaunch of the original formula product is expected to widen the options available to consumers seeking Ushinchungsimwon. "We will continue to closely examine market demand while doing our best to offer medicines consumers can trust through stable supply and quality control," the official said.
Kwangdong's Ushinchungsimwon is a steady-selling over-the-counter medicine that represents the company, and comes in eight varieties depending on formulation and ingredients. It is indicated for palpitations, high blood pressure, mental anxiety, stroke (including general paralysis, paralysis of the hands and feet, speech impairment, coma, mental confusion and facial nerve paralysis), acute and chronic convulsions, autonomic nervous system disorders and loss of consciousness.
