Certican keeps weighted pricing for now, Samsca lowered 30%

MOHW to revise List of Reimbursed Drugs and Upper Limit Pricing for October

Novartis Korea’s immunosuppressant Certican (everolimus) has ultimately dodged the double pricing reduction.

 

Although dismissed from patent litigation and lost from the administrative litigation against the government, the immunosuppressant is to keep its premium pricing benefit as stipulated by the policy that sustains the benefit when the number of companies with same substance drugs is three or less.

 

The pricings on Relestat eye drops 0.05% (epinastine hydrochloride) by Allergan Korea and Samsca tablet (tolvaptan spray dry powder) by Korea Otsuka Pharmaceutical would be lowered by 30 percent from next month as authorized by the government.

 

Nevertheless, the pricings would be lowered 23.5 percent more a year later as they lose the premium pricing.

 

　 The pharmaceutical industry sources reported South Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare is in process of reflecting the said changes on the List of Reimbursed Drugs and Upper Limit Pricing.

 

The finalized listed would come in effect from Oct.

 

1.

 

First, Daewon Pharmaceutical’s Codaewon S syrup and Kisan Pharma’s Paricitol injection would receive weighted pricing of 21.2 percent and 10 percent, respectively, for a year.

 

For a first generic, the South Korean government grants pricing of 59.5 percent of the original for a year from the date of listing.

 

The pricing goes up to 68 percent for generics by an Innovative Pharmaceutical Company.

 

But if the number of generic companies is three or under, the weighted pricing would be maintained until another company launches the generic.

 

As for a latecomer generic listed within a year the first generic is listed, the same premium pricing would be granted for a year from the point of the first generic listing.

 

The weighted pricing on Codaewon S syrup and Paricitol injection would expire on Oct.

 

1 and Apr.

 

1 next year, respectively.

 

Total five items would get to keep their premium pricing benefit.

 

The premium on Novartis’ Certican tablet would be maintained for all doses.

 

In fact, Certican has undergone a pricing reduction once this month, as its patent litigation was rejected and it lost the litigation against the government regarding the pricing reduction order.

 

The pricing on Novartis’ drug was supposed to drop with expired premium benefit, but its initial weighted pricing would remain unchanged as long as the same substance generic-supplying companies are three or less.

 

Along with Certican, Myungmoon Pharm’s Taro Ammonium Lactate Lotion 12% would also keep its weighted pricing.

 

The government authorized the 30-percent pricing reduction on Allergan Korea’s Relestat eye drops 0.05% and Korea Otsuka Pharmaceutical’s Samsca tablet, effective next month.

 

The government-authorized pricing reduction is applied to first-in-class drugs and products with same administration route, substance and formula, when a generic is listed.

 

But when the first generic is listed, the first-in-class drug’s pricing is brought down to 53.55 percent but the premium benefit keeps the pricing at 70 percent of the initial pricing for a year.

 

The upper limit pricing of Relestat eye drops 0.05% would be revised to 7,213 won, originally at 10,305 won, while the pricings on Samsca tablet 15 mg and 30 mg would be adjusted from 14,366 won to 10,056 won and from 14,400 won to 10,080 won, respectively.

 

The premium pricing benefit would be dropped from Sept.

 

1 next year, automatically reducing their pricings by 23.5 percent, each.

 

Two products’ pricings would be voluntarily lowered as requested by respective companies.

 

The government allows adjustment of listed drug’s upper limit pricing, when a manufacturer, CMO, or importer requests to lower the pricing as a part of sales strategy or due to a corporate circumstances.

 

The pricings on Newmantine tablet by Korea Prime Pharm and Pamcirac tablet by Ildong Pharmaceutical would be lowered by 17.2 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively, from next month.