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- 2026-07-01 07:13:24
- Opinion
- [Reporter’s View] Evrysdi awaits reimb review for over 1 yr
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Sep 16, 2022 05:53am
- One year has passed since the company applied for insurance reimbursement but to no avail. No progress has been made on the matter, not even the frequent news of the agenda being rejected by the Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee has been heard on the matter. Although the reimbursement application for the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment ‘Evrysdi (risdiplam)’ had been submitted in July last year after its approval in November 2020, the agenda has not been listed for deliberation on any of the lists disclosed by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. There is a deadline for each stage of HIRA’s reimbursement assessment. The current overall reimbursement review period is 150 days, and the government had announced a systemic reform to reduce the period to 120 days. However, this period is often not kept. This is why the industry was not so enthusiastic about the reform plan. In the case of Evrysdi, its review period had already exceeded 150 days earlier this year, as the company had once failed to pass the Drug Reimbursement Standard Subcommittee and reapplied for reimbursement after supplementing data. On this, the Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination issued a statement last month when Zolgensma started being reimbursed, asking HIRA to abolish the reimbursement discontinuation standards set for another SMA treatment, ‘Spinraza (nusinersen),’ and the prompt reimbursement discussion to be made for Evrysdi. SADD had pointed out that SMA patients are being left unattended in the blind spot because HIRA is postponing discussions on Evrysdi just to discuss it in line with the adjustment made for Spinraza’s reimbursement criteria. So Evrysdi, which has applied for and is awaiting review, is still waiting in line after a year without even a single discussion made for its reimbursement and remains a ‘pie in the sky' for the patients. The importance of providing a clear explanation of an administrative decision is essential in the process of handling administrative affairs. This becomes all the more important when an exception arises in the application of a system, which raises more questions than an introduction or abolition of a system. However, the government has never provided an explanation on drugs that were extended their drug pricing negotiation period after passing the set deadlines. And more and more drugs receiving reviews for reimbursement listing or standard extensions or are being left without news. In the current “high-priced drug era,” plenty of very effective but expensive drugs are being introduced to the market. Therefore, it can be difficult for the government and the pharmaceutical company to reach an agreement within the set ’60-day’ period. In particular, the area of SMA treatments had been an ongoing issue due to their high price. However still, the emphasis needs to be laid on the word, deadline. Deadline is a promise. Also, the NHIS has described the negotiation deadline as a sort of "benefit" when announcing its plan to shorten the deadline for new drugs. In other words, the period is set for the final negotiation period to speed up listing and allow others to estimate the time to listing or rejection. Also, the people need to know why the negotiation fell through so that they could criticize the faulty party and find a compromise.
- Policy
- The introduction of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine has begun
- by Kim, Jung-Ju Sep 16, 2022 05:53am
- Moderna's omicron mutation (BA.1) bivalent vaccine of 1.611 million doses will be introduced in Korea sequentially from today (15th). According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 805,000 doses will arrive at Incheon International Airport on the 15th and 806,000 doses on the 17th, respectively, and will be used for winter vaccinations in October after the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approves the lot release. The vaccine to be introduced this time is a divalent vaccine containing two antigens (the virus and omicron mutation BA.1), and was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on the 8th. The detailed implementation plan for winter vaccinations using divalent vaccines will be announced at the end of September when divalent vaccines are prepared. The government will continue to closely consult with pharmaceutical companies for a stable supply of vaccines, and will promptly guide the additional supply schedule as soon as it is set. The authorities have contributed to the international community through overseas donations along with related ministries such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and have donated a total of 4.86 million doses to nine countries since last year. In addition, 4.83 million doses of the AZ vaccine, which was distributed through COVAX, were also provided to COVAX without introduction in Korea.
- Product
- Benefit standards are the key to the migraine market
- by Whang, byung-woo Sep 16, 2022 05:52am
- Treatment options are also changing at clinical sites as CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide)-based migraine treatments are entering or about to enter the benefit range. However, given that the standard is high, it is expected that patients who receive actual benefits will be limited, so it is evaluated that the task to expand accessibility remains. CGRP-based drugs are attracting attention in migraine treatment because they target CGRP pain-causing substances in the migraine market, which has not had a suitable treatment. This is why existing drugs are relatively free from side effects in that they have a mechanism to target only CGRP if they generally suppress pain-causing substances. This is already being paid attention not only abroad but also in Korea. The Korean Headache Society also recommended the use of CGRP treatment as a preventive drug for adult chronic migraine patients in the revised medical guidelines. (Criteria level: I, Recommended level: Strong for). Currently, CGRP target antibody treatments in Korea have entered the market with Lilly's Emgality first, and Handok Teva released Ajovy last year. With high prices still acting as a hurdle, the number of prescription options has also increased as Emgality entered the benefit range on the 1st. In addition, Ajovy, a competitive drug, is also expected to enter the benefit range soon as it is set to negotiate drug prices after passing the 9th Drug Benefit Evaluation Committee review. Experts are also paying attention to the reduction in drug prices due to the entry of benefits. According to the announcement by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the burden of patient costs has been reduced from about 3.8 million won to 1.15 million won due to the application of Emgality's benefit. Cho Soo-jin, chairman of The Korean Headach Society, said, "The migraine itself has been used at a cost burden in that it hinders the quality of life and reduces work efficiency," adding, "The fact that migraine treatment has been paid is important in that it is the beginning to expand into areas where migraine is recognized as essential." It is good news that many patients hesitated to receive treatment due to high costs. Lee Won-gu, a professor of neurology at Kosin University Hospital, said, "It has been difficult for medical staff to recommend treatment to patients due to price barriers." He said, "As we have entered the salary, accessibility will improve from the perspective of medical staff and patients." However, some say that there may be fewer patients than expected as Emgality's benefit standards are difficult. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Emgality's detailed criteria for health insurance benefits are preventive measures for chronic migraine patients aged 18 or older that meet the International Headache Classification (ICHD-3) diagnostic criteria. A response evaluation (headache period, MIDAS, etc.) should be conducted every three months before administration begins (within the last month) and after administration, and the administration period is applied for up to 12 months, patients who have a history of migraine for at least one year, have a monthly headache for at least six months before administration for at least 15 days, and have migraine headaches for at least eight days a month, and patients who have failed to treat three or more types of migraine prevention drugs within the last year (with the maximum dose of each drug, the number of migraine days per month does not decrease by 50% or cannot be used as side effects or taboos even after at least 8 weeks), if looking at the details. Professor Lee said, "There was a discussion among experts that there was a risk of cutting if the standards were not used well for patients who needed to be used," and explained, "As we need to prove the records, history of treatment, and headache period, we think the prescription may be limited at primary clinics or general hospitals." If the use of the treatment is recognized for up to one year or if the treatment effect is not proven every three months, the elimination is also expected to be a task in the future. Cho said, "If CGRP-based treatments are recognized as a single drug, they are recognized for up to one year, but in some cases, 18 months or more may help patients." He said, "Even if Ajovy enters the benefit, it is currently stipulated that the drug cannot be changed, so it remains to be seen how to evaluate this part in the future."
- Company
- Companies are ending a series of phase 3 of core R&D
- by Lee, Seok-Jun Sep 15, 2022 05:55am
- Samchundang ends phase 3 of Eylea biosimilar. Top line of Ildong's Zochova will be unveiled around November. Pharmaceutical companies' core R&D phase 3 is ending one after another. Corporate value is expected to change depending on the results. Some companies are seeking foreign permission using phase 3 data. DAE HWA recently completed an application for permission for Liporaxel, a gastric cancer drug containing Paclitaxel. The application for permission is based on Liporaxel efficacy and safety data. The clinical trial compared the efficacy and safety of Liporaxel and Paclitaxel injections Taxol as a secondary treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer. Liporaxel, which was licensed in Korea in 2016, is the world's first PO Paclitaxel. Currently, Paclitaxel is being used as a single drug recommended by CSCO in China for secondary treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Samchundang also recently ended phase 3 of the Eylea biosimilar (SCD411). Phase 3 of SCD411 was conducted on 576 patients with macular degeneration in 15 countries, including the United States and Japan, starting with the first patient administration in September 2020. Comparative studies such as effectiveness and safety between SCD411 and Eylea were conducted. Samchundang expects to receive the final phase 3 clinical report of SCD411 in January 2024. The company is also pushing for partner contracts along with producing phase 3 results. Negotiating partners conducted a final due diligence in July this year to evaluate the production and quality management eligibility of SCD411. At the end of August, Ildong completed a phase 2/3 in Korea of Zochova (S-217622), a candidate for oral COVID-19 treatment. Topline results are expected to be produced around November. Ildong is co-developing Zochova with Shionogi, Japan. Ildong has been conducting phase 2b and phase 3 of Zochova for patients infected with mild, moderate, and asymptomatic COVID-19 in Korea. The size is 204. CTC Bio ended the administration of CDFR0812 phase 3 clinical trial patients at the end of April. Phase 3 of CDFR0812, which has been held since 2019, was conducted with 795 people. It is currently under statistical analysis and the results are expected to be released within this year. The substance is non-reimbursed and can be released immediately upon approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. CTC Bio has signed a business partnership with Dongkoo Pharmaceutical Co. for CDFR0812. Dongkoo owns about 5% of CTC Bio. A market official said, "As phase 3 of core R&D materials of pharmaceutical companies are terminated one after another, results are expected to be drawn soon. "Company value will fluctuate depending on when and when the data results are released," he analyzed.
- Company
- NSCLC drug Rybrevant can be prescribed at general hospitals
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Sep 15, 2022 05:55am
- Janssen’s new lung cancer drug Rybrevant can now be prescribed at general hospitals in Korea. According to industry sources, the anticancer drug Rybrevant (amivantamab), which is used to treat EGFR exon 20 insertion non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that is insensitive to currently available EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), has passed the review of drug committees tertiary hospitals in Korea including the Seoul Asan Medical Center, and Sinchon Severance Hospital, as well as other institutions nationwide, such as Konyang University Hospital, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital, and Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital. However, Rybrevant’s still non-reimbursed in Korea. Janssen Korea applied for reimbursement but was unable to pass deliberations by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service’s Cancer Disease Deliberation Committee. The company is known to be preparing to reapply for reimbursement. EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation in NSCLC is so rare that it is found in only 2% of all NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutations in Korea. With no suitable treatment available for the specific condition, even the NCCN guidelines have only been recommending platinum-based chemotherapy for the patients. And even this is subject to expenditure cuts. Although lung cancer in itself is not rare, NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation can be classified as a rare condition. Unlike other common EGFR mutations, NSCLC patients with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations have a 75% higher risk of death, a 5-year survival rate of 8%, and a life expectancy of less than 2 years. Rybrevant, which is well known for its use in combination with ‘lasertinib (Leclaza),’ was the first targeted therapy approved in Korea for the treatment of NSCLC with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations in February this year. The approval for the drug was based on the results from the CHRYSALIS study, where the drug demonstrated an overall response rate (ORR) of 40% and a 4% complete response (CR), 36% partial response (PR) rate in with Rybrevant use as monotherapy. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval based on Phase I trial results in recognition of its value as a treatment for a rare type of cancer. Following approval in the US, the drug also was designated for expedited review and approved in Korea as well. However, the issue lies in whether its value will be accepted during reimbursement review. As the drug was approved based on data from a single-arm clinical trial without a control group, Rybrevant needs to take the pharmacoeconomic evaluation exemption track for reimbursement. Therefore, the key is whether Rybrevant’s value as a treatment for rare cancer, not just lung cancer, will be acknowledged during the reimbursement review. Byoung-Chul Cho, Chief of the Lung Cancer Center at Yonsei Cancer Center, said “EGFR exon 20 insertion presents in various subtypes, and the sub-analysis of the CHRYSALIS study showed that Rybrevant showed an even response rate across rate in several subtypes. In addition to its target inhibition effect, Rybrevant shows more promise due to its immune cell-directing activity.”
- Company
- JW Pharm sells ₩10 bil with Actemra in 1H 2022
- by Chon, Seung-Hyun Sep 15, 2022 05:55am
- Actemra, JW Pharmaceutical’s rheumatoid arthritis treatment, rose and settled as the company’s flagship product, exceeding KRW 10 billion in sales in 1H this year. The product's increase in sales was fueled by the increase in its prescription as a rheumatoid arthritis treatment and its increased use as a COVID-19 treatment. According to the market research institution IQVIA on the 14th, Actemra recorded KRW 11.4 billion in sales 1H this year, a 39.7% YoY increase from the same period last year. The drug had raised KRW 6.2 billion in Q1 this year, which was a 59.9% YoY increase from the previous quarter, and then raised KRW 5.2 billion in Q2, marking a 21.2% increase. Although its growth slowed down in Q2 compared to Q1, the product still continued on its high growth. Quarterly sales of Actemra (Unit: KRW 1 million, Source: IQVIA) Actemra was approved in Korea in 2012 as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. The drug inhibits the binding of ‘Interleukin-6,’ the protein that causes inflammation in the body, and its receptor, in the body. JW Pharmaceutical introduced this new biologic drug after entering into a license agreement with Chugai Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Roche, for the co-development and exclusive marketing right of Actemra in Korea. The new drug candidate was developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical, based on which JW Pharmaceutical conducted clinical trials at major large hospitals in Korea including the Seoul National University Hospital, and received domestic approval. It is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis and children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Actemra did not exert much presence in the early stages of its release. The drug exceeded KRW 10 billion in annual sales for the first time in 2018. Actemra’s sales rose steeply since last year. After recording KRW 3.8 billion in sales in Q4 2020, it broke its own sales record for 5 consecutive quarters until Q1 this year. It is evaluated that the reliability of Actemra in the field has risen with its accumulated prescription experience in rheumatoid arthritis. Actemra has also attracted further attention as it had shown excellent therapeutic effects in patients who do not respond to TNF-alpha inhibitors like Humira, Seretide, and Enbrel. Recently, its sales growth has increased further with its rising demand for COVID-19 treatment purposes. Since last year, Actemra has been used off-label in more than 60 hospitals nationwide for the treatment of severely ill patients with COVID-19. Off-label use refers to the use of existing drugs on the market for purposes other than what it was approved to treat after receiving approval from each institution’s institutional review board (IRB). Demand for Actemra increased significantly in the domestic field after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission (EC) authorized emergency use of Actemra as a treatment for severely ill patients in need of artificial respiration due to COVID-19 infection in June and December last year, respectively. The demand for Actemra, therefore, had surged last year to cause a shortage in its supply one time. Actemra’s scope of reimbursement was extended to COVID-19 treatment in March this year. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety granted emergency approval for Actemra in March for use in severely ill COVID-19 patients over the age of 2. Actemra's high growth has led to improved company performance. JW Pharmaceutical’s operating profit rose 173.7% YoY to record KRW 10.3 billion in Q2, and sales rose 12.4% to record KRW 163 billion.
- Policy
- The flu-coronavirus outbreak has been predicted
- by Kim, Jung-Ju Sep 15, 2022 05:55am
- Amid the prevailing pessimistic outlook that flu and COVID-19 will be all the rage at the same time this fall, quarantine authorities stressed that flu and COVID-19 vaccines should be vaccinated respectively. This is due to similar symptoms such as headaches and fever, which can be mistaken, and people are confused by rumors that "if getting the flu vaccine, pts don't have to get the COVID-19 vaccine." Jung Ki-seok, head of the COVID-19 Special Response Team at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, explained this in a Q&A session at a regular COVID-19 briefing this morning (14th). According to Jeong, the flu and COVID-19 are not often distinguishable from symptoms, but the expected flu is not much different from the influenza A types H1N1 and H3N2 that they have experienced before, so the symptoms are not expected to be significantly different. "The flu has a very typical symptom that only the flu has," Jeong said. "It starts with a sudden fever, aching body, and a headache, and it is effective to take medicine within 48 hours, when the virus is relatively less proliferation," he explained. "Not all flu symptoms follow typical symptoms," Jeong said. COVID-19 Some patients may suddenly have a fever and get sick, but doctors may know a lot from experience because the symptoms of the typical flu and the typical COVID-19 are very different. However, in order to ensure accuracy and not to rely on experience, the test must be performed," he stressed. Jeong dismissed the false information such as "the COVID-19 vaccine helps prevent the flu," as "a groundless rumor." "Children should receive both vaccines at the same time as they do every season," he said. "On the day they visit the hospital, they can get both vaccines to arms at the same time." Jeong then recommended simultaneous vaccination, saying, "The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon announce the national vaccination project, and if the second flu vaccine comes out in early October, it can be received along with the COVID-19 vaccine."
- Company
- The NHIS signed a MOU with Viatris to manage chronic dz
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Sep 15, 2022 05:55am
- Viatris is working with the NHIS to improve the chronic disease management environment. The NIHS and Viatris signed a MOU at the headquarters of the Wonju Industrial Complex in Gangwon-do on the 1st to utilize educational materials for patients with chronic medical care. Through this business agreement, the two institutions said they will contribute to efficient disease management by diversifying the contents to be used for patient education and counseling in the pilot project for chronic disease management in primary care. Viatris will establish mutual cooperation to improve the quality of patient education materials by providing chronic disease education contents for public interest purposes and proposing the use and improvement of educational contents provided by Viatris. The primary medical chronic disease management pilot project is a project to provide continuous health care services by conducting a comprehensive evaluation of hypertension and diabetes patients at local clinics and establishing individual management plans from January 2019. Viatris, which signed an agreement with the corporation, is a Korean subsidiary of Viatris, a global healthcare company launched in November 2020 by Upjohn, which was Pfizer's business division, combined with Mylan. Park Ji-young, head of NHIS' chronic disease management office, explained, "We expect that doctors and patients' educational satisfaction will increase by utilizing high-quality educational materials provided by Viatris in clinics participating in the project." Kwon Yong-cheol, executive director of the Viatris Department of Medicine, said, "We are happy to contribute to the primary medical chronic disease management project. Viatris will continue to strive to fulfill its social responsibilities as a global healthcare company to improve treatment access and provide information for patients and medical staff based on experience accumulated in chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, he said.
- Company
- Complicated patent extension period than foreign countries
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Sep 14, 2022 05:50am
- The current system is advantageous for multinational companies, and many domestic companies welcome reorganization. The system for extending the duration of drug patents is expected to be reorganized. The Korean Intellectual Property Office established a related TF and prepared an improvement plan, and recently inquired about opinions in the pharmaceutical bio industry. The direction of improvement of the system, which has sharp interests between the original and generic companies, is largely in international harmony with the United States and Europe. ◆Xeljanz patent period, 27 years in Korea, 25 years in the U.S. and Europe...From institutional differences The Korean Intellectual Property Office has come up with a total of four improvement plans, and as one of them, it is known that it is considering allowing it to extend only one of the several patents registered in one drug, such as the U.S. and Europe. According to the pharmaceutical bio industry on the 14th, Pfizer's rheumatoid arthritis treatment Xeljanz has a patent duration of 25 years in the United States. This is the result of an extension of five years, which was delayed by clinical trials or permission and examination by regulatory agencies, for 20 years of the typical patent period. In the case of Europe, a 25-year patent period is guaranteed. Xeljanz has a patent duration of 27 years in Korea. This is because the basic patent period is 20 years, but the extended patent duration is different. The reason why the extended patent duration of the U.S., Europe, and Korea is different despite the same drug and the same patent is due to differences in institutions between countries. The original company registers as many patents as possible when it develops a single drug. About 10 patents are also attached to one drug, including material patents, usage patents, usage and capacity patents, formulation patents, and crystalline patents. This is because the more patents there are, the more advantageous it is to defend the challenges of generic companies. In the United States and Europe, only one of the several patents registered in one drug item is selected and extended. In fact, Pfizer applied for an extension of the duration (up to five years) for two material patents and one legal patent in Korea, respectively. In the process of recognizing the extension of the duration of the three patents, overlapping occurred between each period. As a result, the patent period for Xeljanz in Korea was set to be about two years (732 days) longer than that of the United States and Europe. ◆Each of several patents can be extended…Original company patent period is 1~2 years longer Each company is very active in extending the duration of patent rights in Korea because the longer the patent period is, the more advantageous it is to the original company. A total of 24 new drugs were newly licensed in Korea last year. As in the case of Xeljanz, two to three patents were registered per item, and the entire patent period was extended by applying for an extension of the duration of each patent. The problem is that while registration is easy in the case of the duration of the drug patent, it is very difficult to overcome the generic. According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office, from 1999 to last year, when the patent extension system was implemented, the number of applications for the extension of the patent period by original companies totaled 750. Among them, a total of 612 cases were registered, 65 were rejected, and 22 were returned or withdrawn. The remaining 48 cases are under review as of the end of last year. It means that if the original company applies for the extension of the patent period, 9 out of 10 cases will succeed. The results of generic to the extended patent duration are pessimistic. There have been challenges over the duration of patents extended from 2015 to last year, but they have not been completely overcome once. ◆ Domestic pharmaceutical company 'yes' vs multinational pharmaceutical company 'no'…Delivering Opinions to the Korean Intellectual Property Office Multinational pharmaceutical companies are opposed to the reorganization plan, given that the current system is favorable to the original company. In fact, it is known that the KRPIA conveyed its opposition to the Korean Intellectual Property Office. A local pharmaceutical company official said, is "patent an extended duration that it is impossible to overcome the Patent and Trademark Office in the direction is welcome and reform the system." and "A release of significant impact on NHS finances in the process of the delay." Another pharmaceutical industry official said, "The current patent extension system is quite similar to Japan's system." "As the global pharmaceutical bio-industry environment has changed, it seems meaningful to reorganize Korea's system in the U.S. and European ways," he said.
- Company
- Novartis Korea to close down Respiratory BU next month
- by Sep 14, 2022 05:50am
- Novartis Korea is expected to close down its Respiratory Business Unit and dispose of related products from October this year. According to industry sources on the 14th, Novartis Korea’s Respiratory Business Unit will be officially closed down next month as part of the company’s large-scale reorganization in progress at the global level. Currently, Novartis Korea is operated in two business units - Pharmaceuticals BU and Oncology BU. The Pharmaceuticals BU consists of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases; Autoimmunity, Transplantation & Inflammatory Diseases; Skin Diseases. The global reorganization is being made to first integrate the Pharmaceuticals and Oncology Business Units and then divide them into an Innovative Medicines (IM) Division and an off-patent drug division. Specifically, as of October this year, Novartis Korea will be reorganized into 5 Business Units, ▲Hematology, ▲Solid Tumor, ▲CV & GTX, ▲Immunology, and ▲ In-Market & Business Innovation. The unit that had been in charge of respiratory diseases has been removed in the process. Novartis’s respiratory pipeline consists of ‘Enerzair (indacaterol/glycopyrronium/mometasone),’ a three-drug combination drug for asthma, and ‘Atectura (indacaterol acetate/mometasone),’ a once-daily fixed-dose combination drug. Both drugs are fairly new in the market, being approved in December 2020 and granted reimbursement in September last year. However, sales of the two drugs have been low, making around KRW 800 million in 1H this year. The company is speculated to have made this decision after judging that the growth potential of its respiratory treatments is low. Xolair, Novartis Korea’s highest-grossing asthma treatment, was allocated to the Immunology BU due to its mechanism of action and excluded from the restructuring process. When a dedicated unit is shut down, products in its care may be transferred outside. However, due to the small sales volume of the relevant products, their effect on the company's aggregate sales is expected to be negligible even with such a transfer. Employees in the Respiratory BU will also be reassigned. According to a Novartis Korea employee, the Respiratory Unit has around 10 people, including those in charge of marketing and sales. With the shutdown of the Respiratory BU, about 30% of them are known to have applied for voluntary retirement (ERP) that is being offered by the company. Novartis Korea said, “We are in the process of reorganizing our business units to focus on our core therapeutic areas in line with the strategic direction taken by our headquarters. Employees in our Respiratory BU that apply for voluntary retirement will go through relevant procedures, and those who do not will be reassigned to other departments according to their wishes and business needs.”
