NHIS completes pricing negotiations for Vemlidy, Brukinsa

and 5 morning sickness drugs

Negotiations conducted for each through the PVA, expanding the scope of use, and new drug pathways

Drug prices will be determined after being reported to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee next week

Negotiations between the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) and pharmaceutical companies have been completed for 5 morning sickness drugs, hepatitis B drug Vemlidy Tab (tenofovir alafenamide hemifumarate), and Chinese company BeiGene Korea's new cancer drug Brukinsa Cap (zanubrutinib).

 

The 5 morning sickness drugs underwent new drug pricing negotiations, Vemlidy underwent the price-volume agreement negotiations, and Brukinsa underwent a negotiation to expand its scope of use.

 

According to the industry on the 17th, the NHIS recently updated its list of drugs completed negotiations and announced the completion of negotiations of the drugs listed above.

 

The 5 morning sickness drugs that have completed negotiations are Hyundai Pharm’s ‘Diclectin Enteric Coated Tab,’ Boryung Biopharma's ‘Easy Morning Enteric Coated Tab,’ Dong Kook Pharmaceutical's ‘Mommyrectin Enteric Coated Tab,’ Shin Poong Pharm’s ‘Dinerzia Enteric Coated Tab,’ and Hanwha Pharma’s ‘Prelectin Enteric Coated Tab.’ These drugs are pyridoxine hydrochloride and doxylamine succinate combinations and are the only drugs indicated to treat nausea and vomiting during pregnancy in women who do not respond to conservative management in Korea.

 

The government has been pushing for health insurance coverage of these items since last year as part of its policy to support pregnant women.

 

The NHIS has been negotiating drug prices since mid-March and recently reached an agreement with the 5 pharmaceutical companies.

 

Vemlidy has reportedly completed negotiations under ‘Type B’ of the Price-Volume Agreement system.

 

The drug underwent the same type of negotiations last year, which resulted in a 4.7% reduction in its insurance cap price As the most-used drug in the hepatitis B treatment market, Vemlidy’s insurance claims continue to grow.

 

Last year's prescription sales amounted to KRW 61.9 billion based on UBIST, up 26% YoY (from KRW 49.2 billion the previous year).

 

PVA Type B is applied to drugs ▲whose insurance price had been adjusted under ‘Type A,’ or ▲that were listed for over 4 years without undergoing pricing adjustments under Type A and whose claims amount increased over 60% from the previous year; or ▲increased by 10% but the amount exceeds 5 billion.

 

Vemlidy was found to have satisfied the conditions.

 

Brukinsa was approved in May last year as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) who have received at least one prior therapy.

 

In March, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee recognized the adequacy of expanding reimbursement for Brukinsa as treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) and has been in negotiations with the agency ever since.

 

The items that successfully completed negotiations will the NHIS will reported to the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee of the Ministry of Health and Welfare next week for reimbursement listing.