Pfizer 'Vyndamax' reimbursed from March…KRW 100,000/cap

About 20% of the non-reimbursed price…significantly reduces patient burden with a special exemption of calculation provisions

Product photo of Vyndamax

About 20% of the non-reimbursed price…significantly reduces patient with a special exemption of calculation provisions The completion of negotiations with the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) has been reported, so the reimbursement listing was a matter of time.

 

The ceiling price is reported to be KRW 100,000 per capsule.

 

According to industry sources on February 19, Vyndamax Cap was the only treatment for ATTR amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).

 

As Vyndamax Cap becomes added to the reimbursement list in March, the ceiling price is reported to be set as KRW 100,000.

 

The survival time for ATTR-CM is 2 to 3.5 years when it is not adequately treated.

 

It is a disease mistaken for simply heart failure, but the treatment outcome is poor due to the unavailability of treatment.

 

The efficacy of Vyndamax was demonstrated through the Phase 3 ATTR-ACT study, which showed Vyndamax reduced cardiovascular-related events and improved the 6-minute walking test in CM patients.

 

However, after domestic approval in 2020, it faced difficulty in listing reimbursement.

 

In April 2022, the drug was considered for the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)'s Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee (DREC), but reimbursement appropriateness was not approved.

 

Ultimately, high drug price was the problem.

 

Vyndamax costs US$ 225,000 (approximately KRW 300 million) annually, and in South Korea, non-reimbursed treatment is reported to cost KRW 150 million (KRW 410,000 per capsule) annually.

 

If the ceiling price is KRW 100,000 per capsule, it costs 20% less than when it was non-reimbursed.

 

Patients only pay a co-payment of 10% with a special exemption of calculation provisions, so the economic burden is expected to be less.

 

If the company has reached a risk-sharing agreement (RSA), drug cost is expected to decrease even more.

 

The number of ATTR-CM patients in South Korea is reported to be 75 as of 2021.