A locally-developed stroke treatment medicine is likely to hit the market in 2010 at the earliest.

The medication, dubbed "New 2000," is being developed by a research team led by Professor Kwak Byung-joo of Ajou University in Gyeonggi Province.

According to Kwak Monday, tests on mice have been nearly completed, with clinical trials to be launched in September in the United States.

Kwak said that his team had already secured some 35 billion won in funds needed for the clinical tests from an American firm, AMKOR. He added that once the second clinical tests are over, his team will transfer its technology to the American pharmaceutical company, Merck and Company, in 2007.

Merck is expected to inject around 300 billion won into developing the treatment and roll it out on the market between 2010 and 2012.