Switching between JAKis approved for atopic dermatitis

The companies’ voluntary price cuts remain

HIRA prepares reimbursement standards...financial sharing by pharmaceutical companies will remain key

Reimbursement for switching between severe atopic dermatitis drugs may be approved soon in Korea.

 

However, further efforts by pharmaceutical companies would be needed to share the additional finances required.

 

Therefore, it is analyzed that pharmaceutical companies will overcome the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service’s review process by voluntarily reducing their drug price.

 

According to industry sources on the 25th, voluntary price reductions are being discussed to receive reimbursement for switching between severe atopic dermatitis drugs.

 

The reimbursement standards for switching between biologics and JAK inhibitors have already been established through expert discussions.

 

The remaining step is for pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily reduce their insurance price ceiling to minimize the financial impact.

 

If the proposal passes HIRA’s Financial Impact Assessment Subcommittee, it will be reviewed by the Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee (DREC).

 

If it passes, final negotiations will be held with the National Health Insurance Service to expand their reimbursement standards.

 

Currently, if a patient starts treatment with one of the biologics or JAK inhibitors and then switches to the other, they are not eligible for reimbursement or special calculations, which increases the burden on patients.

 

However, academics argue that switching is necessary for personalized treatment.

 

The Korean Atopic Dermatitis Association has also included cross-dosing between drugs in its recently revised guidelines and has been asking the government to allow switching.

 

In response, the MFDS has been discussing switching between biologics and JAK inhibitors with experts since September.

 

It became an issue in the NA Audit as well, with Rep Mi-hwa Seo, Jin-suk Jeon (Democratic Party of Korea) and Ye-ji Kim (People Power Party) demanding measures.

 

In response, HIRA explained it has completed its review with experts and will cooperate to ensure that the follow-up process progresses as soon as possible.

 

“We have already established the reimbursement standards that take into account the latest evidence and clinical situation, and only the issue of financial sharing remains,” said a HIRA official.

 

In the case of reimbursement extensions, the pharmaceutical companies achieved a breakthrough by offering to share the financial burden by voluntarily reducing the price of their respective drugs.

 

Last year, the SGLT-2+DPP-4+metformin diabetes drug combination was also reimbursed through voluntary price reductions by pharmaceutical companies.

 

Treatments approved for severe atopic dermatitis in Korea include the biologics Dupixent (Sanofi) and Adtralza (Leupharma), and JAK inhibitors Ilumiant (Lilly), Rinvoq (AbbVie), and Civinqo (Pfizer).

 

Of these, the voluntary price reduction rate will likely be determined based on drugs with the highest expected additional claims if switching is allowed.