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- 2026-06-24 22:53:17
- Company
- AstraZeneca begins ERP and business unit restructuring
- by Son, Hyung-Min Jan 18, 2024 04:51pm
- AstraZeneca Korea has initiated an early retirement program following the withdrawal of the diabetes treatment Forxiga from the Korean market. The company has stated that it is in discussions with the government to minimize the impact of Forxiga’s withdrawal along with its business unit restructuring. According to the pharmaceutical industry sources on the 18th, AstraZeneca Korea is currently implementing an Early Retirement Plan (ERP). Under this plan, the ERP compensation package is structured as of January 2024, with a monthly base salary*(years of service*2+8) + 130 million won. For example, an employee earning a monthly base salary of 5 million won with 10 years of service would receive an additional 130 million won on top of 5,000,000 multiplied by 28. AstraZeneca Korea’s Forxiga Forxiga (ingredient: dapagliflozin), a SGLT-2 inhibitor class treatment for diabetes, is a blockbuster drug that accumulated sales of 55 billion won in the previous year. However, AstraZeneca Korea announced its withdrawal from the Korean market in December last year. The primary reason for Forxiga's withdrawal is widely attributed to the price reduction resulting from patent expiration. AstraZeneca Korea contested the price reduction resulting from the generic listing and initiated administrative litigation against it. While the court has accepted this for execution suspension, if price reductions are implemented after February, the current price of around 730 won may drop to the 390 won range. However, as Forxiga's indications were expanded to conditions like heart failure and kidney disease, in addition to Type 2 diabetes, continued price reduction remains possible. The challenge for the company is that the price reduction in Korea can influence the price of the drug in neighboring countries, and the company cannot rely solely on sales in Korea. The price of Forxiga in Korea is known to be the lowest among OECD countries, approximately 1/40th of the price in the United States. "A decision to withdraw Forxiga takes into account various factors beyond just price. We are currently in discussions with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) regarding the withdrawal and timing of domestic withdrawal," a representative from AstraZeneca Korea stated. AstraZeneca Korea to restructure business units while maintaining the sales of combination drugs. AstraZeneca Korea is also undergoing a restructuring of its business units. The current Respiratory & Immunology Business Unit and Cardio Vascular Renal Metabolism (CVRM) Business Unit will be integrated into the BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit. Following the integration, AstraZeneca Korea will operate with three units: BioPharmaceuticals, Oncology, and Rare Disease. However, AstraZeneca Korea clarified that the organizational restructuring is not because of the ERP program. According to a company representative, as part of the headquarters' strategy, existing CVRM and Respiratory & Immunology business units will be integrated into the BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit. And products like Xigduo XR Tab (Dapagliflozin/Metformin) and Sidapvia Tab (Dapagliflozin/ Sitagliptin) will continue to be part of the CVRM Business Unit's roles. For combination drugs, the extent of price reduction is not significantly greater than that of Forxiga, as there are no additional indications other than type 2 diabetes. As a result, the company may have chosen to maintain domestic sales of Xigduo XR and Sidapvia. Beginning this year, HK Inno.N will sell Xigduo XR and Sidapvia in Korea. "We believe that Xigduo XR can provide additional benefits to patients as a combination drug, and the factors taken into account were different from those for Forxiga," a representative from AstraZeneca Korea stated. The concern revolves around patients who are currently taking the active ingredient dapagliflozin and have conditions such as heart failure and kidney disease. Currently, among SGLT-2 inhibitors, only Boehringer Ingelheim's Jardiance has secured indications for heart failure and kidney disease. The withdrawal of Forxiga could potentially create challenges for patients and doctors in accessing the treatment. "The decision to withdraw Forxiga was extremely difficult for the company, considering the potential impact on patients in accessing the treatment," a representative from AstraZeneca Korea stated. "AstraZeneca Korea is actively engaged in discussions with the MOHW to find solutions that would allow patients receiving treatment for chronic heart failure and chronic kidney disease to continue their treatment.” In response to concerns about potential shortages and supply issues with Forxiga at the end of last year, a company representative said that they have secured enough of the drug. "The supply of Forxiga is sufficiently secured for this year,” the representative stated and clarifying, “Even if the approval is withdrawn, insurance code for the drug remains valid for six months, so we have secured the quantity for that duration.”
- Company
- Keytruda approved as 1st-line treatment for gastric cancer
- by Son, Hyung-Min Jan 18, 2024 04:46pm
- Sun Young Rha, Professor in the Department of Oncology at Younsei Cancer Center Keytruda, a cancer immunotherapy developed by MSD, has been approved as a first-line treatment for gastric cancer in Korea. Keytruda has emerged as a new first-line treatment option, thirteen years after Herceptin (ingredient: trastuzumab) received approval in 2010. On the 16th, MSD hosted a press conference at Lotte Hotel Seoul commencing expanded indication for Keytruda (pembrolizumab) as a first-line treatment for HER2-positive gastric cancer. In December last year, Keytruda received expanded approval for use in combination with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients diagnosed with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2 positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. The approval of Keytruda in Korea brought a significant change in the first-line treatment options, thirteen years after Herceptin (trastuzumab) received approval in 2010. Previously, several treatment options, including lapatinib plus paclitaxel, lapatinib plus chemotherapy, trastuzumab emtansine, and trastuzumab plus pertuzumab plus chemotherapy, were tested in clinical trials for gastric cancer patients, but these treatments did not yield successful outcomes. The Phase 3 KEYNOTE-811 clinical trial, upon which Keytruda’s approval is based, demonstrated efficacy of Keytruda plus trastuzumab plus fluoropyrimidine plus platinum-containing chemotherapy has confirmed efficacy in treating gastric cancer when compared to a therapy of placebo plus trastuzumab plus chemotherapy. The results of the 38.5-month (median value) follow-up of patients with PD-L1 have shown that the Keytruda-combination therapy group acheived a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 10.9 months, which was longer when compared to the 7.3 months PFS observed in the comparison group. The Keytruda-combination therapy recorded an overall response rate (ORR) of 74.4%, which was significantly higher than the 51.9% observed in the comparison group. The Keytruda-combination therapy also demonstrated a complete response (CS) of 11%, whereas comparison group had CR of 3%. Additionally, in terms of interim analysis of overall survival (OS), the Keytruda-combination therapy showed OS of 20.0 months, whereas the comparison group recorded OS of 15.7 months. “HER2 is the only biomarker for gastric cancer,” Sun Young Rha, Professor in the Department of Oncology at Younsei Cancer Center, noted. Professor Rha also said, “Previously, the rate of PD-L1 expression in HER2-positive patients had not been assessed, but the KEYNOTE-811 clinical study demonstrated that an 85% PD-L1 expression rate in HER2-positive cancer patients.” “The clinical study results demonstrating Keytruda's effectiveness in HER2-positive PD-L1-positive patients represent important data," Professor added. “To provide benefits of cancer immunotherapy, establishing a clinical framework for the dual diagnosis of biomarkers may be necessary.” Given the results indicating a high level of PD-L1 expression in patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer, there is a growing recognition of the importance of establishing a clinical framework for dual diagnosis of biomarkers to ensure that patients can benefit from cancer immunotherapy. Currently, Keytruda is approved for HER2-positive gastric cancer, while Opdivo is approved for HER2-negative gastric cancer. For the application of cancer immunotherapy in the treatment of metastatic gastric cancer patients, HER2-positive patients are mandated to undergo the 22cs assessment, while HER2-negative patients are required to undergo the 28-8 assessment. Hye Seung Lee, Professor in the Department of Pathology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital Because of this requirement, two separate biomarker assessments may be conducted, beginning with the HER2 assessment, and followed by the PD-L1 assessment. As such, simultaneous assessment of both biomarkers could potentially improve efficiency. “If the two diagnoses were conducted separately, patients might not receive the second assessment due to the additional administrative process,” Hye Seung Lee, Professor in the Department of Pathology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, said. “Furthermore, performing a single tissue assessment for dual diagnosis has the advantage of minimizing tissue loss.” Another factor that could hinder patients from receiving a treatment is the time it takes to confirm whether reimbursement is applicable for dual diagnosis. Dual diagnosis falls under the New Health Technology Assessment, which typically takes up to 83 days to make a reimbursement decision after checking whether there is an existing technology for a particular drug. As a result, even if a drug is approved, it takes time for the patients to access the treatment. “Currently, once a drug’s use is approved, it may take more than a month for a patient to receive a dual diagnosis in hospitals, and patient might not receive the benefit of the treatment during the processing time,” Professor Lee explained.
- Policy
- Moderna will only supply Spikevax Duo 2 in Korea
- by Lee, Hye-Kyung Jan 18, 2024 06:07am
- Moderna Korea has discontinued the supply of all other vaccines, leaving only its latest version, Spikevax Duo 2 (elasomeran, davesomeran) in circulation among the 5 COVID-19 vaccines it had received approval for in Korea. On the 17th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) received a report on Moderna’s supply discontinuation of ‘Moderna Spikevax Inj,’ ‘Moderna Spikevax 2 Inj,’ ‘Spikevax inj,’ and ‘Spikevax 2 Inj.’ Moderna stated that it is “producing, importing, and supplying a new updated vaccine in response to the emergence of new coronavirus variants," and that it has been “supplying the latest updated version of Spikevax Inj that protects against the latest variants since October 2023.’ Moderna’s most recently updated version is called ‘Spikevax Duo 2 Inj', and its entire domestic supply is contract manufactured by Samsung Biologics. Spikevax Duo 2 Inj was granted Emergency Use Approval by the MFDS on September 27th last year for adolescents and adults aged 12 years and older against the XBB.1.5 subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In preparation for the winter vaccination season, national regulatory agencies and international public health organizations have recommended countries update their COVID-19 vaccines to monovalent vaccines that include protection against the XBB.1.5 variant. Moderna has published clinical data confirming that its XBB.1.5 targeted monovalent vaccine provides neutralizing antibody responses to the variants BA.2.86, EG.5, and FL.1.5.1 in addition to XBB subvariants XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16 and XBB.2.3.2. The most common local adverse reaction following the use of Spikevax Duo 2 was injection site pain. The most common systemic adverse reactions were headache, fatigue, myalgia, and chills. Its safety profile was consistent with what is known for the original Spikevax vaccine. Meanwhile, Moderna has been ranked as the No. 1 domestic pharmaceutical company in terms of production volume in 2022 with its COVID-19 vaccine alone. According to the '2023 Food and Drug Statistics Yearbook', Moderna's production volume amounted to KRW 1.2756 trillion in 2022, driven by the production of 2 dosage forms of its Spikevax Inj vaccine.
- Company
- MA manager files complaint on NHIS official's abuse of power
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jan 18, 2024 06:07am
- A controversy has arisen over the abuse of power made by an official from the National Health Insurance Service’s Department of Pharmaceutical Benefits. According to industry sources, B, a market access (MA) manager at pharmaceutical company A, filed a civil complaint with the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission’s e-People page, alleging unfair treatment from C, an official from the NHIS Department of Pharmaceutical Benefits. It was confirmed that B had attached a recording of the conversation with C with the complaint, alleging unfair treatment (abuse of power) by a public institution. It was reported that B filed the complaint through individual judgment rather than as part of company-level actions. The Department of Pharmaceutical Benefits is in charge of negotiating insurance prices of drugs with pharmaceutical companies during the reimbursement listing process. This drug pricing negotiation is a mandatory process for new drug reimbursement and is regarded as the last gateway to listing in the pharmaceutical industry. The industry has been expressing mixed views on B’s actions. "I think it was a little hasty," said one multinational pharmaceutical company’s pricing manager. “Frictions do occur and strong words are exchanged with the NHIS in the pricing negotiation process, but we are all basically partners working together for the same goal of ensuring patient access. I doubt any power play abusive enough to be reported to the e-People website would have been made in the process.” On the other hand, another representative of a multinational pharmaceutical company said, "There are definitely some people who have an overbearing attitude. Reimbursement listing is the crucial determinant of the success or failure of a drug, and the NHIS holds the key. Any wrongful actions in this crucial process should be corrected promptly."
- Policy
- Drug price cuts will be applied in bulk next month
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Jan 18, 2024 06:07am
- A number of products are expected to receive price cuts next month as a result of the second round of reevaluations the government conducted on the insurance price ceiling of listed drugs. The drug price adjustments, which were initially set to be applied in January, were pushed back to February. Also, in consideration of the returns and difference settlements that need to be made by pharmacies, sufficient time is expected to be given between the announcement and the effective date of the pricing adjustments. According to industry sources on the 17th, the second round of negotiations after reevaluation of the insurance price ceiling of listed drugs will be completed this month and be reported to the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee (HIPDC). About 3,220 products were subject to the second round of negotiations. As this includes all of the evaluated items, some that are not subject to pricing adjustments are also included in the negotiations. Therefore, it is expected that the actual number of products that receive price cuts will be fewer than this. In the first round of reevaluations that were conducted in September last year, 12,800 items were subject to negotiations, but 7,400 items were applied pricing adjustments. The second round of price ceiling reassessment will cover some specialty oral drugs and aseptic drugs that were included in the bioequivalence demonstration by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2020. The second round of reevaluations included some prescribed oral drugs and aseptic drugs that were required to demonstrate bioequivalence by the MFDS in 2020. Initially, the Ministry of Health and Welfare had planned to apply the drug price adjustments in January after reporting the results to HPIDC in December last year. However, it was postponed in February due to concerns about the burden borne by pharmacies. Also, drug price ceiling adjustments following the investigation into actual transaction prices had been set to be applied in January at the time. However, this was also postponed thereafter. Therefore, the adjustment period will likely be further delayed to after March, as the results were not reported to HIPDC’s meeting this time. The pricing adjustment date for the second round of price ceiling reevaluations is also expected to be a few days after the first of next month, just as it had been in the first round of price ceiling reevaluations. In the first round, the adjustments were announced on Aug. 23 last year, notifying its implementation on Sept. 1, but the actual implementations were made on Sept. 5 to account for return and settlement confusion among pharmacies. Meanwhile, the reevaluation of the price ceiling of listed drugs is being conducted to maintain or reduce the price of listed drugs depending on whether the drug meets the requirements of self-bioequivalence testing and DMF listing. If the listed drug satisfies both requirements, the ceiling price is maintained as is; however, if the drug satisfies only one of the two requirements, the price is reduced to 85%, and to 72.25% if both requirements are not met.
- Policy
- Stability data requirement eased for metformin approvals
- by Lee, Hye-Kyung Jan 17, 2024 05:29am
- The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Minister Yu-Kyoung Oh) will change and ease the stability test submission data requirements for approvals (and changes) of metformin-containing preparation that had been strengthened following the detection of an impurity (N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA, NDMA). Metformin is used for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and has been approved for 120 single-agent and 1,227 combination drug products. The government’s action follows a scientific analysis of NDMA-related stability test data that have been submitted to the MFDS to date and the conclusion that the changed data requirements are sufficient to ensure the quality of the drugs within their expiration date. The MFDS had strengthened the data submission requirements since July 2020 after NDMA was detected in metformin products to strictly control the impurity level to be lower than the standard. The stability test data required for product approval (and changes) has been strengthened to the level of new drugs. As a result, companies had to submit 12 months of long-term storage stability test data when applying for new approvals or changes to their metformin products. However, in the future, the companies will again only need to submit 6 months of long-term storage test data. The MFDS expects this improvement to help ensure the rapid development and launch of metformin products and access to treatment for patients and will continue to make the best efforts to operate Korea’s drug approval system flexibly and reasonably based on its expertise in regulatory science.
- Company
- Orion bids KRW 548.5 bil to enter the pharma industry
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Jan 17, 2024 05:29am
- The Orion Group has become the largest shareholder of LegoChem Biosciences, a prime new drug developer. With the acquisition of LegoChem, Orion is expected to jump into the pharmaceutical bio-industry in earnest, breaking away from its previous passive activities such as signing a memorandum of understandings, making indirect investments, and establishing joint ventures. According to industry sources on the 16th, Orion announced on the 15th that it will acquire 9.36 million and 3,283 shares of LegoChem Biosciences for KRW 54.85 billion. After the acquisition, Orion will possess a 25.73% stake in the company, making it the largest shareholder of LegoChem Biosciences. Orion will acquire 7,963,282 million new shares via a third-party allocated capital increase at an additional KRW 469.8 billion. It will also purchase 1.4 million existing stocks from Orion’s largest stakeholders, CEO Yong-Zu Kim (1.2 million shares) and President Se-jin Park (0.2 million shares). Orion’s subsidiary, Pan Orion Corp., which is located in Hong Kong, will take charge of the acquisition procedure. After Pan Orion, which is a holding company for 7 corporations finalizes the acquisition, a holding company for seven entities in China, completes the acquisition process, Orion will incorporate LegoChem Biosciences as its affiliate. Orion is expected to enter the pharma-bio industry in earnest with the acquisition of the new drug developer LegoChem Biosciences. Orion announced its entry into three new businesses in 2020 and pointed to the pharmaceutical bio industry as one of them. However, before the acquisition of LegoChem Biosciences. However, as the company had only shown activity in the diagnostics business and mainly focused on laying the foundation for overseas businesses before the acquisition, the industry’s evaluation was that the company had sought to indirectly enter the market through joint ventures, etc., taking a step back from making direct investments. In 2020, Orion signed an MOU with diagnostic kit maker Sugentech, and in 2021, it signed a license-out agreement with Genomictree for its early diagnosis technology for colorectal cancer. The same year, it formed a joint venture in China with Shandong Lukang Pharmaceutical. In 2022, the company signed a joint development agreement with Quratis to jointly develop a vaccine for tuberculosis. In December 2022, the company established Orion Biologics. Orion Biologics is a 6:4 joint venture between Orion Holdings, the group's holding company, and Hysense Bio, a dental disease treatment venture company. However still, Orion Biologics is considered to be focusing on supporting the company’s diagnostic and vaccine business in China rather than Korea’s pharma-bio industry. But with the acquisition of LegoChem Biosciences, Orion is seemingly making entry into the pharma-bio industry in earnest. The company seems to be focusing the group's pharmaceutical bio business capabilities on LegoChem Biosciences while maintaining the existing management and operating system for the rest of its businesses. The pharmaceutical industry is paying attention to the potential of LegoChem Biosciences that Orion seeks to acquire. LegoChem Biosciences specializes in the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which have recently attracted great interest from global big pharmas. LegoChem Biosciences has signed more than 10 technology transfer agreements in the ADC field since 2015. Starting with the technology transfer to China's Fosun Pharma in 2015, the company has made 13 known technology transfers. Of these, 4 candidates have entered the clinical stage. In addition to the upfront payment, the company is expected to receive additional milestone payments upon achievement of commercial milestones. The most recent deal was signed in December last year. The company signed a technology export agreement with the multinational pharmaceutical company Janssen for its ADC drug candidate 'LCB84'. LCB84 is an ADC candidate drug that can target various solid tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. LegoChem Biosciences has a proprietary ConjuAll linker. An ADC consists of a linker, a payload (drug), and an antibody. The ConjuAll linker is believed to be able to overcome the release of cytotoxic drugs in the blood and attack normal cells. Based on this potential, the company has a market capitalization of more than KRW 1.5 trillion on the KOSDAQ market as of the closing price on the 15th. It ranks 28th in market capitalization on the KOSDAQ market. It ranks 7th among pharma-bio companies listed on KOSDAQ.
- Company
- KRPIA's new BOD is full of Korean members
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jan 17, 2024 05:29am
- KRPIA has launched its new board of directors for the 2024 New Year. The Korean Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA) has recently announced its new board of directors (BOD). The new BOD stands out as it is primarily made up of Korean members. Among the 13 BOD members, which includes KRPIA chairman Dong-Wook Oh (CEO of Pfizer Korea), only two are foreign nationals, making up 85% of the board as Korean members. Because multinational pharmaceutical companies appointing Koreans as CEOs of their Korean branch instead of foreign nationals, it has likely led to the BOD members consisting primarily of Korean members. CEO of Astellas Pharma Korea, Junil Kim, CEO of Bayer Korea, JinA Lee, and CEO of MSD Korea, Albert Kim, are Koreans who were newly appointed last year. Of note, Albert Kim holds Canadian nationality. New foreign members of the BOD include Maurizio Borgatta, CEO of GSK Korea, and Christoph Hanman, CEO of Merck Korea. Meanwhile, KRPIA is facing substantial changes in the coming years. The association has recently appointed Choi In-Hwa, an executive at Roche Korea, to oversee the association's policy business following the retirement of Kim Min-Young (currently the Director of Market Access at Gilead Sciences Korea), who left the position in February of last year. This appointment fills the vacancy after a year. Additionally, the current chairman of the association is also nearing the end of the term. Chairman Oh Dong-Wook's term is set to expire this month (January), and it is expected that a new chairman will be appointed in February. Chairman Oh has been leading the association since his appointment as chairman in 2021.
- Policy
- High-priced drugs receive reimb in the new year
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Jan 17, 2024 05:29am
- Ultra-high-priced drugs whose costs exceed KRW 100 million are being listed for reimbursement one after another in the new year. Following Koselugo’s reimbursement this month, Luxturna, which will cost KRW 1 billion, is expected to be reimbursed next month. With such ultra-high-priced drugs being listed one after another, voices have been rising on the need to strengthen post-listing management to efficiently manage the financial expenditures of Korea’s national health insurance. According to industry sources on the 16th, ‘Luxturna Inj,' an ultra-expensive drug that costs KRW 950 million, has completed drug pricing negotiations with the NHIS and is set to be reported to the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee this month. The drug is a ‘one-shot treatment’ that shows an effect after a single dose, similar to previously listed drugs like Kymriah and Zolgensma. Luxturna is indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with vision loss due to inherited retinal dystrophy caused by confirmed biallelic RPE65 mutations and who have sufficient viable retinal cells. It is estimated that there are about 50 patients who are eligible to receive LUXTERNA in Korea. The issue is its high price. The drug costs about USD 710,000 per single dose in the US, which roughly translates to KRW 950 million in Korean won. Feeling burdened by the high price, patients have been awaiting the drug’s reimbursement listing since it was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in September 2021. However, a sense of anxiety filled the air when Luxturna’s pricing negotiations, which began in September, failed to finish within the set deadline and extended the deadline. Fortunately, the two sides quickly reached an agreement during the extended negotiation period. The company and the government reportedly shared the price burden at a reasonable level through the risk-sharing agreement system. Since this drug is an ultra-high-priced one-shot treatment like Kymriah and Zolgensma, it is likely to raise follow-up management issues even after listing. Ultra-high-priced KRW 950 million Luxturna awaiting to be reimbursed in Korea The neurofibromatosis treatment Koselugo Cap (selumetinib, AstraZeneca) has been reimbursed from the 1st of this month. The drug has succeeded in receiving reimbursement listing for 2 years and 6 after filing an application in June 2021. The expanded scope of subjects eligible for waiving submission of pharmacoeconomic evaluation data (PE exemption drugs) that was implemented in January last year played a decisive role in its reimbursement listing. The company agreed upon three risk-sharing types of RSA – the refund type, expenditure cap type, and initial treatment cost refund type – with the NHIS reducing the burden of health expenditures on the government’s part. With the reimbursement listing, patients only need to a copayment rate of 10% of the annual cost of KRW 200 million required for its use, reducing the burden to a KRW 10 million range. The cost of new drugs being listed recently is well over KRW 100 million. Zolgensma, which was listed for reimbursement in 2022, is currently the most expensive drug on the reimbursement list, at a price of KRW 1.98173 billion per kit. With these high-price drugs increasing healthcare expenditures, health authorities are also focusing on the post-listing management of these high-priced drugs. With the introduction of Kymriah and Zolgensma, a performance evaluation system that applies reimbursement through post-evaluations has been introduced. HIRA is seeking to broaden the scope of the system to manage PE exemption drugs and has been also promoting the reevaluation of existing drugs. From this year, it also established the 'Pharmaceutical Performance Evaluation Department, which will be responsible for the post-listing management of listed high-priced drugs. The NHIS plans to secure the financial soundness of its system by advancing the risk-sharing agreement system. To this end, it plans to minimize financial uncertainties by applying a performance-based risk-sharing system at the patient level and strengthening follow-up management of drugs using systems including the price-volume agreement system. The government’s plan for managing high-priced drugs is also expected to be included in the 2nd Comprehensive National Health Insurance Plan that is expected to be announced this month.
- Company
- Whan In has exclusive distribution rights for Sanofi's Arava
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Jan 16, 2024 06:09am
- On the 10th, Whan In Pharm had signed an exclusive promotion & distribution agreement with Sanofi-Aventis Korea for Arava tablet in Korea. On the 10th, Whan In Pharm announced that the company signed an exclusive promotion and distribution agreement with Sanofi-Aventis for Arava Tablet, a rheumatoid arthritis treatment containing the active ingredient leflunomide, in Korea. Whan In Pharm is recognized for its business specialization in the central nervous system (CNS) field. Through this agreement, Whan In Pharm plans to expand its business focus into areas beyond the CNS. Arava Tablet is a drug for alleviating rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, active psoriatic arthritis symptoms, and others. The drug is steadily generating sales of around 6 billion won every year. “We are pleased to announce our first partnership in the non-CNS field with Sanofi,” Lee Wonbum, CEO of Whan In Pharm, stated. “We anticipate that our collaboration with Sanofi will drive mutual growth and enhance our market competitiveness in the rheumatology field. “We are thrilled to establish a strategic alliance with Whan In Pharm, a company with a proven track of success in the CNS field. Through this partnership, we anticipate that we will be able to steadily supply Arava, an important treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis, to patients in need,” Suk Sang Kyu, Foundation Business Unit Head at Sanofi-Aventis Korea stated.
