Novartis Jakabi expands graft-versus-host disease coverage

Insurance benefits apply from November 1st

For patients over 12 years of age who do not respond sufficiently to steroid treatment

Novartis Korea announced that Jakabi, a Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitor, will be covered by insurance for the treatment of acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease from November 1.

 

About 1 year and 6 months after Jakabi was approved for graft-versus-host disease indication in May of last year, insurance benefits were applied to patients aged 12 or older who did not respond sufficiently to previous corticosteroid treatment.

 

Graft-versus-host disease is a disease that occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation when the donor's T cells recognize the patient's normal cells as foreign substances.

 

A variety of symptoms appear across multiple organs and greatly reduce the patient's quality of life.

 

Steroids are used as the first treatment, but there is a risk of various side effects.

 

In addition, about half of patients do not respond to treatment and show dependence on steroids, which reduces the effectiveness of treatment.

 

Jakabi is a targeted treatment that selectively inhibits JAK hyperactivity signals and acts on both JAK1 and JAK2, the main causes of inflammation and tissue damage in graft-versus-host disease.

 

Jakabi acts as a mechanism to lower the excessive production of inflammatory cytokines that cause tissue damage in graft-versus-host disease and to suppress the expansion of T cells.

 

Jakabi has proven its effectiveness in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease refractory to corticosteroids through REACH2,3 clinical studies.

 

Kim Hee-je, a professor at Seoul St.

 

Mary's Hospital (Department of Hematology), said, "Patients with hematological diseases who have suffered from severe acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease that occurs after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have not been able to establish a standard treatment after the failure of primary steroid treatment, so there is no effective treatment available.

 

“There was no such thing,” he said.

 

The professor added, "Jakabi's listing on the payroll means that for the first time, a treatment that will solve the unmet need for treatment that has not been addressed in Korea has been prepared for the first time, and at the same time, patients can receive effective treatment without financial burden." Lee Ji-Yoon, managing director of Novartis Korea's Blood and Oncology Division, said, "We are pleased that this reimbursement listing has laid the foundation for domestic graft-versus-host disease patients to receive treatment comfortably without financial burden." Managing Director Lee said, “We will continue to strive to provide better treatment opportunities for domestic graft-versus-host disease patients and create an environment where they can focus solely on treatment.”