Concerns about National Bio Committee's foreign pharma exec

member appointment

The committee, set to launch next month, comprises 40 members, including President Yoon as chair, vice chair, and officials from National Security Office

Pharma industry "Concerns about the potential leakage of national security information related to vaccines·pharmaceutical potentially leaking externally…appoint an executive from a global big pharma is inappropriate"

President Yoon Suk Yeol has been appointed as chair of the National Bio Committee.

The National Bio Committee, chaired by President Yoon Suk Yeol, is set to launch in December.

 

However, reports indicate that a global pharmaceutical company executive has been included as a committee member, raising concerns.

 

The committee comprises up to 40 members, including the chair, vice-chair, various ministers, and officials from the National Security Office.

 

One of the appointed committee members is an executive from a foreign pharmaceutical company.

 

Given that the committee's primary role is to formulate national strategies for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, critics have argued that appointing an executive from a major multinational pharmaceutical company has the potential for government policies or confidential information to be leaked externally.

 

According to the pharmaceutical industry on November 27, the list of committee members of the National Bio Committee included an executive from a multinational pharmaceutical company.

 

President Yoon Suk Yeol was appointed as chair of the National Bio Committee, and Lee Sang-yeop, vice president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), will serve as vice-chair.

 

Civilian committee members include 20 experts, including Kim Bit-naeri, Director of the Institute for Basic Science, Koh Han-seung, CEO of Samsung Bioepis, and Kim Young-tae, President of Seoul National University Hospital.

 

The first meeting is scheduled for next month.

 

An issue has arisen from including an executive from a multinational company who has worked for nearly 20 years in a global pharmaceutical company.

 

Criticism has been raised about including an executive from a foreign-based company representing global big pharma to the National Bio Committee for the Korean pharmaceutical industry is inappropriate.

 

The National Bio Committee is responsible for reviewing South Korea's overall biotechnology policies, including research and development (R&D) and new drug approvals, to foster the high-tech pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry as a next-generation key sector.

 

The committee comprises up to 40 members, including the President as Chair, a vice chair, ministers from various government departments, the senior secretary for Science and Technology, the Third Deputy Director of the National Security Office, and private experts from the field and academia.

 

Criticism have been raised about including an executive from a multinational pharmaceutical company.

 

Critics argue that such an appointment contradicts the committee's purpose of promoting domestic pharmaceutical innovation.

 

They state that allowing a global "Big Pharma" executive to participate in discussions about policies shaping South Korea's pharmaceutical R&D, regulatory·pricing strategies undermines the committee's intent.

 

Concerns also extend to potential security risks, as sensitive government policies or information on the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors critical to national security could be inadvertently·deliberately leaked externally.

 

"The National Bio Committee is responsible for unveiling, formulating, discussing, and deciding on South Korea's R&D strategy in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.

 

Including a multinational pharmaceutical company executive in a committee chaired by the President Yoon, where vaccine and pharmaceutical security issues may be discussed, is illogical.

 

It is comparable to handing over our home territory," a representative from the domestic pharmaceutical industry said.