PVA lowers Entresto and Synovian pricing

Gliasta , Pirespa and Blincyto request for pricing reduction

MOHW finalized new List of Reimbursed Drugs and Maximum Reimbursed Price effective from June

The prices of Novartis Korea’s Entresto film-coated tablet (sacubitril plus valsartan plus sodium salt hydrate complex) and LG Chem’s Synovian injection (BDDE bridged sodium hyaluronate gel) have been negotiated to be lowered by 7 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively, due to their increased use.

 

Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Ildong Pharmaceutical and Amgen Korea voluntarily requested to lower the prices of their Gliasta soft capsule (choline alfoscerate), Pirespa (pirfenidone) 200 mg tablet and Blincyto (Blinatumomab) 35μg injection, respectively.

 

Korea’s Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) has recently finalized the revised ‘List of Reimbursed Drugs and Maximum Reimbursed Price’ with the changes mentioned above.

 

The new list would come in effect from June 1.

 

First, Novartis Korea has negotiated with National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) over Entresto film-coated tablet according to the Type Ga (가) of the price-volume agreement (PVA) system.

 

The Type Ga applies on an item listed with pricing negotiation, when the claimed amount has exceeded the amount projected from the point of negotiation by 30 percent.

 

The item’s claimed amount is calculated from the claims made under the same supplier, administration method, active ingredient and form of the item.

 

The tablet’s reimbursed price would be reduced by 7 percent from 2,200 won to 2,046 won.

 

The dose varies from 50 mg to 100 mg and 200 mg, but the same price is applied to all.

 

LG Chem’s Synovian injection, for instance, was negotiated for pricing reduction under Type Na (나).

 

An item that has been listed for over four years without pricing adjustment by Type Ga PVA, but the total claim amount has surpassed the projected amount at the point of listing by 30 percent.

 

For such items, NHIS negotiate with the supplier depending if the claimed amount has surpassed 60 percent more than the previous year’s amount, or the increased amount has surpassed over 10 percent and adds up to over 5 billion won.

 

The injection’s price, effective from next month, would be brought by 2.7 percent from 67,200 won to 65,400 won.

 

Pricing of total six items would be reduced due to preliminary price reduction based on additional indications.

 

The government preemptively lowers price of an item with extended indication by taking account of additional claim projection and increase rate.

 

The six items include Pfizer Pharmaceutical Korea’s Benefix (Recombinant Blood Coagulation Factor Ⅸ) injection in five doses and AstraZeneca Korea’s Faslodex (fulvestrant) injection.

 

The price of Benefix injection in 250 I.U, 500 I.U and 3000 I.U would be lowered from 789 won to 777 won, and the injection in 1000 I.U and 2000 I.U would be lowered from 788 won to 776 won, all by 1.5 percent.

 

Faslodex injection’s price would be lowered by 5 percent from 567,595 won to 539,215 won.

 

Three items have voluntarily requested for pricing reduction.

 

The government adjusts the maximum price as requested, when a drug manufacturer, CMO or importer requests for the pricing lower than the listed maximum price.

 

Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s Gliasta soft capsule (choline alfoscerate) pricing would be bought down by 0.4 percent from 508 won to 506 won, and Ildong Pharmaceutical’s Pirespa (pirfenidone) 200 mg tablet pricing would be lowered by 0.3 percent from 3,304 won to 3,294 won.

 

Amgen Korea’s Blincyto (Blinatumomab) 35μg injection pricing would be reduced by 5.2 percent from 2,346,000 won to 2,223,503 won, effective from next month.