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- 2026-04-09 06:29:31
- Company
- Global 1 trillion won project
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Oct 19, 2023 05:29am
- Domestically developed new drugs in the P-CAB (Potassium-competitive gastric acid secretion inhibitor) series are accelerating their overseas expansion. HK inno.N K-CAB and Daewoong Pharmaceutical Fexuclue both set a global sales goal of 1 trillion won within five years. To this end, K-CAB has obtained product approval in 7 countries. In addition, the company announced expansion into a total of 35 countries, including technology and finished product export contracts. Fexuclue also obtained product approvals in four countries and signed technology and finished product export contracts with a total of 15 countries. According to the pharmaceutical industry on the 19th, Daewoong Pharmaceutical recently received product approval for Fexuclue from Mexican health authorities. As a result, the number of countries for which Fexuclue has obtained product approval has expanded to four countries. Daewoong Pharmaceutical received product approval in the Philippines in November of last year, followed by Ecuador and Chile in February and March of this year. The analysis is that the company is accelerating its overseas expansion in the second year of its domestic launch. Daewoong Pharmaceutical launched Fexuclue in Korea in July last year. Since then, the company has quickly begun targeting overseas markets by submitting product approval applications to a total of 12 countries. Among these, formal approval has been obtained in four countries, and approval is being reviewed in eight countries, including China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. If adding the countries with which technology and finished product export contracts have been signed, Fexuclue is expected to enter a total of 15 countries. The total contract size is estimated to be more than 700 billion won. Daewoong Pharmaceutical signed a technology export and finished product export contract worth $44.42 million with Mexico's 'Moksha8' in January 2020. In August, a contract worth $72.58 million was signed with Brazil's EMS. In March 2021, a contract worth $339.55 million was signed with China's 'Shanghai Haini Pharmaceutical'. In June of the same year, a development and commercialization license agreement worth $430 million was signed with Neurogastrx in the United States and Canada. However, this contract was terminated in June of this year. Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced that it has begun negotiations with multiple multinational pharmaceutical companies to enter big markets not only in North America but also in Europe and Japan. In addition, a contract was signed with 'Pharma Consulting Group (BIOPAS)' to transfer local licensing and sales rights in four Central and South American countries, and with 'Aghrass Healthcare Limited' to supply Fexuclue to six Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, for the next 10 years. contracts were signed respectively. Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to expand the number of countries applying for Fexuclue approval to 30 countries by 2025. The goal was to enter a total of 100 countries by 2027, including technology and finished product export contracts. Daewoong Pharmaceutical's plan is to achieve global sales of 1 trillion won through this. K-CAB launches products in 7 countries, exports contracts with 35 countries K-CAB, which entered the global market ahead of Fexuclue, also set its global sales target at 1 trillion won. Prior to this, the goal was to enter a total of 100 countries by 2028. The product has already been released in seven countries with product approval. Since April 2022, HK Innoen has released products one after another in China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Mongolia, Mexico, and Peru. What is attracting attention is the Chinese market. China is known as the world's largest anti-ulcer drug market. According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research firm, the size of China's anti-ulcer drug market last year amounted to approximately 3.3 trillion won. HK Innoen released a non-sales service under the name ‘泰欣赞’ in April last year. In March of this year, this product was applied for insurance benefits. Product approval has been applied for in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Chile. HK inno.N plans to apply for product approval in three to four additional countries in Central and South America within this year. HK inno.N has signed technology and finished product export contracts with a total of 35 countries, including this one. In October 2015, a technology transfer contract worth a total of $95 million was signed with Chinese pharmaceutical company Luoxin. Then, in February 2019, a contract was signed with Carnot, a Latin American pharmaceutical company, to export finished products to 17 Central and South American countries, including Mexico and Argentina. The total contract size is $84 million. Since September of the same year, contracts have been signed to export finished products to six Southeast Asian countries. In December 2021, a technology transfer agreement in North America was signed with the US pharmaceutical company Braintree. The contract size is $540 million, and phase 3 clinical trials are being conducted locally starting in September 2022. Last year, technology and finished product export contracts continued. In April last year, a contract was signed with Indian pharmaceutical company Dr.Reddy's to supply finished products to India, South Africa, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Belarus. In December of the same year, a technology transfer agreement was signed with Eurofarma to enter the Brazilian market. The total contract size is undisclosed.
- Policy
- NA calls for prompt reimb of Ilaris during NA audit
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Oct 19, 2023 05:29am
- The National Assembly requested progress to be made in reimbursing ‘Ilaris (canakinumab, Novartis),’ a drug used to treat Hereditary recurrent fever syndromes that affect 13 patients in Korea. Rep. Sun-Woo Kang of the Democratic Party of Korea and member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee suggested so at the Health Insurance Service-Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service audit held on the 18th. Mr. Lee, a parent of a pediatric patient whom Rep. Kang called as a witness, appeared before the National Assembly and said, "There are two palliative treatments. One is Kineret Inj, which needs to be administered daily, and my two-year-old child is suffering the pain of its daily injections every day." “Ilaris can administered once every 8 weeks, but it has not been reimbursed yet,” he said. He said, "If Ilaris is reimbursed, it can significantly improve my child's quality of life. " adding, "It is difficult to understand that this drug, which is covered by insurance in 30 other countries, is not covered by insurance in a developed country like Korea" appealed. Rep. Kang said that patients are spending between KRW 80 million to KRW 100 million per year to use non-reimbursed drugs, and requested that the registration of benefits be speeded up to improve the quality of life for children and ease the financial burden on patients' families. Regarding this, HIRA President Kang said, "Ilaris is administered once every 8 weeks, and it is so effective that 97% of patients responded to the treatment. We reviewed the reimbursement standards last September, and will continue to work to reimburse it as soon as possible."
- Policy
- Rep. Young-hee Choi ‘expenses surged after Moon Care’
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Oct 18, 2023 05:49am
- After the implementation of Moon Jae-in Care, which was implemented to strengthen health insurance coverage, KRW 5.272 trillion was found to have been spent on drugs for seriously ill patients over the 6 years and exceeded the expenditure target every year. According to data Rep. Choi Young-hee (People Power Party, proportional representation), a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, received from the National Health Insurance Service on the 12th, the number of previously non-reimbursed drugs that are now reimbursed and categorized as pharmaceutical expenses for severe diseases increased from 529 in 2017 to 4,027 as of September this year, even though the NHIS granted 1306 non-reimbursed items reimbursement last year. In addition, Rep. Choi's office claimed actual expenditures spent on expanded non-reimbursed covered drugs rose 56.5 times from ▲ KRW 31.5 billion in 2017, ▲ KRW 309.8 billion in 2018, ▲ KRW 6854 billion in 2019, ▲ KRW 1.3 trillion in 2020, ▲ KRW 1.43 trillion in 2021, to ▲ KRW 1.77 trillion in 2022. Rep. Choi's office explained that patients frequented hospital visits even if they were only mildly ill due to improved medical access and the reimbursement of non-reimbursed drugs. Last year, 188,054 patients received treatment more than 150 times, and patients in their 50s showed excessive medical consumption, receiving treatment 3,009 times at 50 medical institutions. Due to this, it is pointed out that the current health insurance balance was in deficit of ▲KRW 177.8 billion in 2018, ▲KRW 2.82 trillion in 2019, then ▲KRW 353.1 billion in 2020. Afterward, the use of medical services decreased due to COVID-19, resulting in a surplus of ▲KRW 2.82 trillion in 2021 and ▲KRW 3.629 trillion in 2022. Rep. Young-hee Choi said, “Moon Jae-in's care is ultimately a ruined policy that only increased the burden on patients due to worsening health insurance finances and increasing non-reimbursed items," and she emphasized, "It is natural that the Yoon Suk-yeol government defined it as a 'populist policy' and declared its abolition." Representative Choi then urged the preparation of countermeasures, saying, “Although health insurance finances have recently become stabilized, we must work for efficient operation and normalization of health insurance finances in preparation for the low birth rate and aging population.”
- Company
- Drug exports reduced by 14%... COVID-19 effect vanished
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Oct 18, 2023 05:48am
- Cumulative pharmaceutical exports in Q3 this year have fallen 13.8% YoY to a record KRW 5.8 trillion. With the global transition to a COVID-19 endemic, exports of COVID-19 vaccines fell sharply, leading to a decline in exports. According to the Korea Customs Service on the 17th, the cumulative pharmaceutical exports in Q3 this year amounted to USD 4.255 billion (about KRW 5.8 trillion). Compared to the USD 4.936 billion exported during the same period last year, the amount decreased by 13.8%. When expanding the period, the amount has been on a decline for 2 consecutive years. In Q3 2021, cumulative total exports recorded USD 5.760 billion. Korea has been enjoying a sales spike during the COVID-19 crisis that arose in 2020. In particular, in 2021 and 2022, the export performance of COVID-19 vaccines sharply increased. The Moderna vaccine produced on consignment by Samsung Biologics achieved high performance as it was exported to countries including Australia and Taiwan. Exports of homegrown domestic vaccines were around USD 173 million by 2020, but the amount tripled in one year to USD 519 million in 2021. In 2022, the amount further increased to USD 941 million. However, after the global COVID-19 pandemic turned into an endemic earlier this year, exports of COVID-19 vaccines also plummeted. In fact, domestic vaccine exports in 1H this year amounted to USD 167 million, down to 1/5 of the USD 778 million it had posted in 2022. Analysis suggests that domestic pharmaceutical export sales are returning to the level in the previous years. When comparing the numbers to Q3 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak, the amount increased by 60.7% from USD 2.648 billion in 4 years. Additionally, exports of pharmaceuticals other than vaccines have been increasing compared to the same period last year. The same goes for imports as well. During the prolonged COVID-19 crisis, imports with the import of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, but the amount has also stabilized somewhat this year. Korea's Q3 cumulative pharmaceutical imports increased 1.5 times in 3 years, from USD 4.840 billion in 2019 to USD 5.537 billion in 2020, USD 6.879 billion in 2021, then USD 7.482 billion in 2022. However, in Q3 of this year, it recorded a cumulative USD 7.155 billion, which is a decrease from the same period of the previous year. This year is the first time that cumulative pharmaceutical imports have decreased YoY in Q3.
- Policy
- Layla+Celecoxib coming soon
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Oct 18, 2023 05:48am
- a new osteoarthritis complex developed by PMG Korea.A compound that combines different osteoarthritis treatments based on natural products and synthesis is expected to be released on the 1st of next month. 20 companies are selling their products, and it is noteworthy whether it will create a new wind in the osteoarthritis treatment market. The original drug ingredient of Danggui, Mogwa, Bangpung, Sokdan, Ogapi, Wooseul, Wiryeongseon, Yukye, Jingyo, Cheongung, Cheonma, and Honghwa 25% Ethanol Yeonjo X is Layla of Korea PMG Pharmaceutical. PMG Pharmaceuticals Korea succeeded in developing a compound that combines the ingredient of Layla tablet with the ingredient of COX-2 inhibitor 'Serecoxib', and was approved for the item 'Reladisuine' in August. The drug demonstrated superiority to the control group in a phase 3 clinical trial of 356 patients with knee osteoarthritis (177 in the trial group and 179 in the control group) in a 100 mm pain VAS change in activity at week 8 compared to the baseline, the primary efficacy evaluation variable. In the same month, 19 items with the same ingredients were also licensed. These items are consignment items that have been approved through joint development with Korea PMG Pharmaceuticals. All product production is handled by PMG Korea Pharmaceutical. The items are Kyungdong Pharmaceutical's 'Selec Duojeong', Guangdong Pharmaceutical's Cox Duojeong', Daewoong Bio's Beacoxis Plus Jeong', Dongkuk Pharmaceutical's Selebron Jeong', Vascan Bio-Pharmaceutical 'Sebkan Plus Jeong', Samil Pharmaceutical 'Lecoxjeong', Samjin Pharmaceutical 'Asbon Plus Jeong', CMG Pharmaceutical 'Coks Plus Jeong', Anguk Pharmaceutical 'Cox2 Plus Jeong', Alico Pharmaceutical 'Raycelco Jeong', HLB Pharmaceutical 'Rex Duojeong', Unimed Pharmaceutical 'Bon Ekox', Ilhwa 'Sele Inajeong', Jenewon Science 'Sereduojeong', Jinyang Pharmaceutical 'Aduria Diess', Palm Genesis 'Sejoinjeong', Pungjeong', Korea Techon Pharmaceutical 'Unira-on Pharmaceutical 'Unira Plus These are expected to be priced by the compound calculation criteria. The compound is calculated at 53.55% sum of the single component before patent expiration. Both ingredients have expired patents, so it is likely that they will be set at the sum of the highest price of a single component. Then, the drug price is expected to be calculated at 567 won, which is the maximum price of ethanol Yeonjo X, which is 220 won for 25% ethanol Yeonjo X and 347 won for Celecoxib 100 mg 347 won. However, if the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recognizes it as an improved new drug, the drug price will be added at 58.5% instead of 53.55%, so there is also interest in whether to designate an improved new drug. Some analysts say that in the case of eperison + aceclofenac complex in December last year, only Aju Pharm, a trustee, received an added-improved new drug, so there may be a difference in the drug price depending on whether it is above or not. Regardless, with a combination of the two ingredients, each pharmaceutical company has performance expectations in that it can receive a higher drug price than a single drug. In particular, PMG Pharmaceutical, which sells the original Layla, has seen a decline in earnings due to drug price adjustments since the appearance of Layla generic, so expectations for this product are different. Moreover, since it is also in charge of consignment production to 19 companies, it is expected to add CMO performance to its own product sales performance. The domestic osteoarthritis treatment market is estimated to be about 500 billion won. The launch of this complex is expected to be an opportunity to create a new competitive landscape.
- Policy
- Pharma-Bio Control Tower launched…first meeting next month
- by Lee, Jeong-Hwan Oct 18, 2023 05:48am
- A presidential order to establish the Biohealth Innovation Committee, a control tower to foster the pharmaceutical bio-industry, has been issued. The government plans to hold its first meeting next month to begin discussing major agendas. With the launch of a pan-ministerial organization, financial and administrative support is expected to be strengthened in addition to support for domestic pharmaceutical and bio companies' research and development (R&D), new drug development, and entry into overseas markets. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 17th that regulations regarding the establishment and operation of the Biohealth Innovation Committee (Presidential Order No. 461) have been issued. Until now, issues related to products and services of biohealth in the industry, including the use of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare technology, have been blocked by inconsistent regulations between ministries, fields, and stages. To address this, the MOHW has been working to launch the 'Biohealth Innovation Committee' as a government-wide control tower chaired by the Prime Minister that encompasses all areas of biohealth, taking advantage of the strategy that seeks to open a biohealth market that was announced at the pan-ministerial biohealth new market creation strategy meeting held on February 28th. The newly established Biohealth Innovation Committee will appoint the Prime Minister as the chair and will consist of the head of 12 ministries, including the Ministers of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of SMEs and Startups, as well as the minister for the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Committee Commission, the Minister of Food and Drug Safety, Commissioner of the Korea Intellectual Property Office, and the Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, and field and academic private experts. The government plans to concentrate on reviewing and deliberating policies to support the full cycle from biohealth technology development, commercialization, and insurance registration, to market entry. Seung-Hyun Hwang, Director-General of the Global Vaccine Hub at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "Through the Biohealth Innovation Committee, we will bring together public and private capabilities to lay the foundation for the biohealth industry as a future growth engine and a key national strategic industry. The first meeting, which will be held in November, will focus on urgent agendas.”
- Company
- Controversy arises over illegal rebates made by Company A
- by Nho, Byung Chul Oct 17, 2023 05:28am
- The multinational pharmaceutical company A's illegal rebate activities have gone too far and are disrupting competition in relevant markets. According to an anonymous tip on the 15th, Company A has been providing economic benefits to prescribers at large general hospitals to promote drug sales. The same company was investigated by the Fair Trade Commission and the police around 10 years ago, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety imposed a fine for related products at the time. Company A owns several global blockbuster products, and although relatively inexpensive latecomer generics have been released for many of their blockbusters, the company’s performance improved by 20% over the past 3 years. Company A's major illegal business activities include providing golf entertainment to prescribing doctors and the use of corporate cards. Regarding this, the informant said, "Implicit rebate sales are rampant under verbal instructions by the CEO. Purchasing groceries at high-end restaurants and illegal card cash-backs are also being allowed." Also, the sales representatives have been providing golf entertainment for doctors. Typically, four players play a round of golf is played together, and its cost ranges from hundreds of thousands of won to well over a million won. According to CP regulations, the entertainment fee per doctor for holding a product briefing session is KRW 100,000, and the same person may not receive entertainment from the same company over 4 times a month. Promotions and souvenirs provided after a product briefing or symposium can be provided for up to KRW 50,000, and meals up to KRW 100,000. Promotional materials that sales and marketing personnel can provide when visiting doctors and pharmacists need to be priced at less than KRW 10,000, retail price.
- Policy
- Daewoong's new diabetes drug 'Envlo',
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Oct 17, 2023 05:28am
- Envlo, a new diabetes drug developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical, is entering long-term safety and efficacy testing of the Zemiglo three-drug therapy. While triple therapy of the Metformin+SGLT2i+DPP4i has been approved for reimbursement since last April, Daewoong Pharmaceutical is expected to establish its position as a latecomer, Envlo, in the triple therapy through this long-term trial. On the 13th, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved the phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Envlo + Metformin + Gemigliptin applied by Daewoong Pharmaceutical. Envlo is the first domestically produced SGLT-2 type diabetes drug developed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical. It received approval in November 2022 and has been commercially released since May of this year. Gemigliptin, which is included in the three-drug combination therapy along with metformin, is a new domestic diabetes drug of the DPP-4 series developed by LG Chem and is being jointly promoted in the market with Daewoong Pharmaceutical. Daewoong Pharmaceutical confirmed the safety and effectiveness of the metformin and gemigliptin triple therapy through phase 3 clinical trials at the time of Envlo approval. At that time, the clinical trial lasted 24 weeks. The long-term clinical trial to be conducted this time will verify safety and effectiveness for 12 months. Last month, Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced that it had applied for this clinical trial to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and that it was a preemptive market response following the expansion of coverage for combination SGLT-2 inhibitors in April. Jeon Seung-ho, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, said, "This phase 3 was conducted to respond to the changing treatment paradigm. As diabetes treatment is a representative drug that requires long-term use, we plan to expand various treatment options based on Envlo's excellent efficacy in the future." He explained. Since its launch last May, Envlo has been supplied to large hospitals one after another and is expanding its market. Last September, the two-drug combination drug 'Envlomet', which combines Envlo + Metformin, was also launched for reimbursement. Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to develop Envlo into a large blockbuster drug with sales of 100 billion won within three years.
- Company
- 'Verquvo is effective in high-risk heart failure patients'
- by Son, Hyung-Min Oct 17, 2023 05:28am
- Bayer Korea held a press conference celebrating the reimbursement listing of Verquvo in Korea at the Seoul Conrad Hotel in Yeouido. on the 16th Bayer’s new heart failure drug Verquvo (vericiguat) has been granted reimbursement listing in Korea, showing effect in high-risk patients. Based on the positive clinical results, experts have been claiming that Verquvo should be considered as a second-line treatment option. On the 16th, Bayer Korea held a press conference celebrating the reimbursement listing of Verquvo in Korea at the Seoul Conrad Hotel in Yeouido. Verquvo is an oral soluble Guanylate Cyclase (sGC) stimulator that plays an important role in the signaling pathway. The drug was approved in November 2021 and listed with reimbursement in September this year. Patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure (New York Heart Association [NYHA] class II-IV) whose left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is less than 45%, and who satisfy specific conditions despite over 4 weeks of standard therapy may use Verquvo in combination with other standard therapies for heart failure. The drug's efficacy was demonstrated through the Phase III VICTORIA trial, which became the basis for its reimbursement listing. The trial enrolled 5,050 adult patients with symptomatic chronic heart failure, 1,132 of whom were Asian patients. Results showed that at a median 10.8 months of follow-up, the risk of death from cardiovascular disease or first hospitalization due to heart failure was around 10% lower than that of the placebo group, and the trial met its primary efficacy endpoint with an annual absolute risk reduction of 4.2%. Also, no significant difference was observed in terms of adverse reactions or serious adverse reactions between Verquvo and placebo. Both drugs also showed similar systolic blood pressure levels. Professor Eung-Ju Kim of the Department of Cardiology of Korea University's Guro Hospital said, “Unlike most clinical trials that exclude patients with reduced renal function, 41% of the patients enrolled in the VICTORIA were seriously ill patients. Even in high-risk patients such as those with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 15 or higher, Verquvo showed significant clinical benefits. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference from the placebo group.” Kim emphasized, “Another point to note is that the drug secured significant results despite the high proportion of patients that were at high risk.” the prevalence of heart failure on a continuous rise in Korea… Verquvo’s role beomce important Professor Seok-Min Kang of the Department of Cardiology at Severance Hospital With population aging the prevalence of heart failure has also been steadily on the rise. The prevalence of heart failure in the total population increased from 0.77% in 2022 to 2.58% in 2020. Hospitalization rates and overall mortality due to heart failure have also continued to increase. Currently, treatment options such as RAAS inhibitors (angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers, etc.) and SGLT-2 inhibitors that were originally used as a diabetes treatment are available for heart failure, but the risk of recurrence still remains. Major global guidelines, including those issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), recommend Verquvo’s use in heart failure patients whose symptoms have worsened despite standard therapy. Domestic guidelines recommend its use at a higher level than the ESC, so Verquvo is expected to play a significant role in secondary treatment of heart failure. Professor Seok-Min Kang of the Department of Cardiology at Severance Hospital said, “Patients with chronic heart failure whose symptoms are worsening have a higher risk of hospitalization and death despite standard treatment. “We need treatment options that can lower the death and hospitalization rates from heart failure and also reduce the burden of medical expense. Considering the comorbidities the patients can have such as high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease, Verquvo, which has shown effectiveness in clinical trials, can be a viable second-line treatment option. It is an attractive drug for patients who have been hospitalized multiple times.”
- Company
- Xtandi closes coinsurance gap with Erleada
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Oct 17, 2023 05:27am
- 'Xtandi' has virtually overcome its difference in drug price with ‘Erleada.’ Dailpharm’s coverage found out that Astellas Pharma Korea recently reached a final agreement with the National Health Insurance Service to negotiate the drug price for its prostate cancer treatment drug Xtandi (enzalutamide) to convert its indication for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC) to full reimbursement. The conversion will likely be made in November. Through the negotiations, the company was finally able to close the out-of-pocket coinsurance difference between its Xtandi and Janssen Korea’s ‘Erleada (apalutamide).’ Controversy was raised over Xtandi’s coinsurance rate after Erleada’s reimbursement approval. Xtandi’s reimbursement was extended in August last year through the selective reimbursement system. Selective reimbursement allows companies to waive the economic feasibility evaluations and quickly extend the scope of reimbursement for a different indication of a listed drug, but with a differentiated coinsurance rate, when the expansion of coverage for a previously listed drug is deemed urgent. Xtandi was first listed for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in 2014, and when the mHSPC indication became eligible for selective reimbursement, Astellas chose to receive reimbursement through the option. But the situation differed for Erleada. As a newly listed drug, selective reimbursement was not an option for Erleada, so it had no choice but to conduct a pharmacoeconomic evaluation and undergo the mandatory reimbursement procedures. Of course, the time required for reimbursement between the two drugs also differed significantly. However, the issue lay in the coinsurance disparity that arose from the patient's perspective. The out-of-pocket rate for Xtandi is 30% with selective reimbursement, but only 5% for Erleada, which received essential reimbursement and special calculations, resulting in a disparity in drug prices between these two drugs that are the same class. But this problem is soon to be resolved. Xtandi's conversion to essential reimbursement can be seen as the result of quick action made by Astellas and the government to address the issue. Considering how Erleada was listed in April, Xtandi's rate of conversion to essential reimbursement has been made quite rapidly. Meanwhile, Xtandi’s reimbursement agenda passed the Cancer Disease Review Committee in June, the Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee reviewed its cost-effectiveness in July, and drug pricing negotiations began in August after the company accepted the conditions set by DREC.
