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- 2026-06-06 10:09:54
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- Selection dilemma rises in IBD mkt due to increased options
- by Moon, sung-ho Jun 11, 2024 05:48am
- With the recent surge in treatment options for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which is represented by ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, developing an appropriate treatment strategy for IBD is emerging as a rising topic in clinical practice. This is due to the recent health insurance reimbursement extensions granted for treatments by multinational pharmaceutical companies, which have lowered the burden on site. #Amid intensifying sales and marketing competition within the industry, the medical community is expected to revise its guidelines on selecting appropriate treatments. Until now, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers Humira (adalimumab) and Remicade (infliximab) have dominated the field of IBD treatment in Korea. According to the pharmaceutical industry and medical community on the 8th, the IBD treatment market has been rapidly reshaping with the competitive entry of global pharmaceutical companies’ treatments this year. First, in the first half of this year, Lilly Korea received approval for its interleukin-23 (IL-23) inhibitor ‘Omvo (mirikizumab) from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. This added another IL inhibitor option to ‘Stelara (ustekinumab),’ the only anti-interleukin drug that had been available in the market until then. As a result, the anti-integrin agent ‘Kynteles (vedolizumab, Takeda),’ and anti-interleukin agent ‘Stelara,’ ‘Omvo,’ and the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors ‘Xeljanz (tofacitinib, Pfizer),’ ‘Rinvoq (upadacitinib, AbbVie),’ ‘Jyseleca (filgotinib, Eisai) can now be prescribed for IBD in Korea. Also, in addition to the JAK inhibitors, which were the only oral treatment options for severe IBD until the first half of this year, the launch and reimbursement approval of ‘Zeposia (ozanimod, BMS),’ a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator broadened the options available on site. This means that the doctors have more options to use on patients who have failed initial treatment. In other words, the next treatment they choose can change the direction of each patient’s care. As such, the choice of IBD therapies, typified by ulcerative colitis (UC), has risen as a hot topic in clinical practice. While clinical research has made it possible to customize treatment for each patient, it has also increased competition between pharmaceutical companies. A professor of gastroenterology at A University Hospital in Busan said, "Previously, there were no options for IBD other than anti-TNF inhibitors. But many more options have become available in recent years, making the situation more complicated for prescribing clinicians.” The pharmaceutical industry is also scrambling to prioritize the lines of their treatment amid the various options becoming available. One representative example is BMS's Zeposia, which entered into a co-marketing agreement with Yuhan Corp, which owns strong domestic sales and marketing capabilities. An industry official said, "In fact, Yuhan Corp’s co-marketing agreement with BMS for Zeposia was considered quite unusual in the field. The collaboration seems to fall in line with the current situation, as the IBD market has recently become more competitive with an increasing number of treatment options and Yuhan had a need to increase its drug lineup." Also, with the increasing number of therapies available from global pharmaceutical companies, "sequencing" between existing and new drugs has become a hot topic in clinical practice. In other words, the increase in treatment options to use after initial treatment failure has created a "dilemma" as patients are allowed to switch between drugs, but not immediately. Another professor of gastroenterology at a university hospital said, "Recently, JAK inhibitors and small molecule drugs have been approved for ulcerative colitis and are being used in practice. However, the issue of side effects needs to be considered as well as benefits. Because complications such as herpes zoster and blood clots can occur when using these drugs, the new drugs are more commonly used on patients that have received shingles vaccinations and relatively young patients." He added, “In the JAK inhibitor class, Jyseleca is the only JAK inhibitor that can be prescribed directly after azathioprine. In clinical studies, RInvoq has shown promise in ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. However, the use of other JAK inhibitors requires azathioprine to be first removed, which is problematic for physicians because they have to remove azathioprine, which they consider effective for the patients.” In other words, while prioritizing the use of the right treatment for each patient, the sequencing of the treatments is currently being determined at the doctors’ discretion based on clinical research. As a result, therapies that are deemed to be the most effective based on the clinical studies that support their approval and reimbursement are being placed in the "last line of defense" and used as a last resort in practice. However, there is an opinion that this approach is not optimal and that prescriptions should be based on a comprehensive analysis of the patient's disease severity and socioeconomic status. There are also those who believe that they should wait and refer to the revisions made to the guidelines published by the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases, which specializes in the disease. Professor Byong Duk Ye, Professor at the University of Ulsan College and Treasurer of KASID, said, "This is always a problem because there is no right answer. Especially, in the case of Rinvoq, there are opinions that its use should be delayed as much as possible because it is superior in clinical or endoscopic aspects compared to other agents. The drug should be used in combination with the patient's personal disease status and socioeconomic status." Ye added, "It is not necessarily a good treatment strategy to postpone the use of Rinvoq because it becomes less effective when used in later stages of the disease. It may be better to use it earlier to control inflammation. The final decision should be made in consultation with the patient, and we plan to publish revised KASID guidelines regarding the increased number of IBD treatment options available.”
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- Will Osimertinib emerge as the standard of care
- by Park, sang-jun Jun 10, 2024 05:41am
- The LAURA trial, which evaluated osimertinib’s effect in patients with unresectable Stage III EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer who received chemoradiotherapy (CRT), was presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The results were also concurrently published in NEJM. # The LAURA trial evaluated progression-free survival (PFS) in 216 patients with unresectable stage III EGFR-mutant NSCLC who received chemoradiotherapy (CRT). The patients were randomized to receive osimertinib or placebo. The results showed a median PFS of 39.1 months and 5.6 months in the osimertinib and placebo arms, respectively, with an 84% reduction in the risk of disease progression and death in the osimertinib arm. The overwhelming numbers were met with spontaneous resounding ovation. Although the overall survival rates were not clear yet, researchers also added a positive interpretation based on the fact that overall survival did show a clear trend toward improved survival in the osimertinib arm, even though 80% of the placebo arm switched to osimertinib. Professor Suresh S. Ramalingam from the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University School of Medicine, who presented results of the phase III LAURA study during the Plenary Session at the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting, said, “The current standard of care for unresectable stage III EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients following CRT is durvalumab, but the benefit of the immunotherapy agent, specifically among patients with EGFR mutations, is uncertain. Based on the clear benefits, osimertinib after CRT will most likely emerge as the new standard of care for EGFR-mutant disease in this setting.” The next big question will be in setting the eligible subjects and timing of administration. Patients with unresectable stage III EGFR-mutant NSCLC who have received chemoradiotherapy (CRT) are regarded as an incurable group of patients, who have a high likelihood of relapse in the future. This is why drug use in this patient group needs to be reviewed from various aspects. Professor Lecia V. Sequist from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, who attended the presentation as a discussant for the abstract, regarded the results as a half glass of water, explaining that osimertinib may and may not be a viable treatment option depending on the perspective.” He emphasized that the positive benefits of osimertinib in terms of preventing brain metastases are a clear advantage, but the cost of the drug and increased side effects are a disadvantage. Professor Beung-Chul Ahn of the National Cancer Center, said, "The positive outcome of osimertinib in this group of patients is very welcome evidence, but if we evaluate it soberly, the cost of the drug cannot be ignored in clinical practice, and there are groups of patients who do not necessarily need it, so we need a treatment strategy that reviews its use according to the situation.”
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- The Court rejects petitions on drug pricing negotiations
- by Kang, Shin-Kook May 03, 2024 05:53am
- The Constitutional Court of Korea. The Constitutional Court of Korea (hereafter referred to as the Constitutional Court) made a decision to reject pharmaceutical company’s petition, which alleged a constitutional violation related to the drug pricing negotiations order. The Constitutional Court recently announced that the clause of a claim, including the violation of the constitution, related to drug pricing negotiation does not fall under the category of exercising governmental authority subject to a constitutional petition. As a result, the request for petition has been declared invalid. The clause in dispute was 'Rules on Criteria for the Health Care Benefits of the National Health Insurance Service,' which allows the Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) to order the President of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) to negotiate with a manufacturer related to a pharmaceutical that already is reimbursable for health care benefits, acts related to the Minister of MOHW ordering President of the NHIS to negotiation with the petitioners, and acts related to the President of the NHIS disclosing negotiations schedule to the petitioners and notifying of submitting required documents. The Constitutional Court stated, "The clause in question is an organizational regulation that merely specifies the Minister of the MOHW to instruct the President of the NHIS to negotiate. Therefore, the rule does not infringe upon the petitioners' fundamental rights." The Constitutional Court ruled that "The Minister of the MOHW issued an internal order directing the President of the NHIS as a supervisory agency. It does not fall under the criteria of exercising governmental authority subject to constitutional appeals." And added, "Moreover, the Court highlighted that the notice does not directly affect the petitioners' rights and obligations. Therefore, historically, it does not qualify as a subject of a constitutional appeal."
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- Will Prolia be able to continue on its high growth in KOR?
- by Moon, sung-ho Apr 24, 2024 05:45am
- The government will extend reimbursement for osteoporosis drugs, including Prolia (denosumab, Amgen). In particular, along with the reimbursement extension, the government has allowed switching between osteoporosis drugs. According to industry sources on the 20th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare recently issued an administrative notice of the ‘Details on the Standards and Methods for Applying Medical Benefits’ that outlined the contents above. Without special objections, the standards are expected to be in force from May. The main point of the amendment was to extend the reimbursement standard for major osteoporosis drugs used in the field. Specifically, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has decided to expand the criteria to allow borderline patients who have reached the T-score treatment goal to continue to receiving reimbursement for osteoporosis drugs. Patients who have been recognized as eligible for reimbursement for a T-score of -2.5 or less (T-score≤-2.5) when measuring bone mineral density using Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) of the central bone, will be eligible for an additional year of reimbursement if their T-score improves during treatment to a T-score greater than -2.5 but less than or equal to -2.0. If the T-score remains greater than -2.5 but less than or equal to -2.0 thereafter, reimbursement will be allowed for another year. In the additionally approved period, patients will be allowed to switch between raloxifene, bazedoxifene, bisphosphonate, and denosumab. The patients may also switch to zoledronic acid injections. The MOHW explained, "After referring to textbooks, guidelines, clinical papers, and academic society (expert) opinions, we decided to extend reimbursement to allow patients diagnosed with a T-score of -2.5 or less via DEXA to continue using the treatment if their T-score improves to -2.5 but less than or equal to -2.0." Meanwhile, the government's reimbursement extension for osteoporosis drugs sheds light on Prolia, which currently dominates the osteoporosis prescription drug market. Since this year, the MOHW has been scrutinizing osteoporosis drugs, known as selective focus review, due to the sharp rise in their claims. In essence, the government’s focus is on Prolia, among osteoporosis drugs. According to the drug research institution IQVIA, Prolia generated KRW 151.1 billion in prescription sales last year after posting KRW115.7 billion in 2022 in Korea. As a single product, it is second only to Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an immuno-oncology drug with unrivaled sales, in the domestic prescription market. The single drug’s sales in the domestic prescription market are comparable to those of mid-sized pharmaceutical companies Despite the government's scrutiny, Prolia's growth is expected to continue with the osteoporosis drug's reimbursement expansion and switching. An industry insider who requested anonymity said, "Last year, the top three items in terms of sales were Keytruda, Prolia, and Lipitor, and the sales of each exceeded the total sales of all mid-sized domestic pharmaceutical companies. Given the level of influence a single item can have on market trends, we need to consider reclassifying the threshold for blockbusters to drugs that post more than KRW 50 billion in annual sales.”
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- ‘Wholesale inventory of 110 antitumor drugs at its lowest'
- by Kang, Hye-Kyung Apr 12, 2024 05:41am
- The Korean Pharmacists for Democratic Society (President: Kyung-Lim Jeon, KPDS) has pointed out the issue of antineoplastic drugs being out of stock. In the second week of April, the KPDS revealed through the ‘Stock Shortage Drugs of the Week Report’ that an estimated wholesale stock of 110 antineoplastic drugs has run out. The 110 items with less than 5% wholesale stock remaining include ▲ Xeloda Tab 500mg (Boryung), ▲Hydrine Cap 500mg (Korea United Pharm), ▲Agrylin Cap 0.5mg (Takeda Pharmaceuticals Korea), ▲ Tasigna Cap 150mg (Novartis Korea), ▲ Alecensa Cap 150mg (Roche Korea), ▲ Kisqali Tab 200mg (Novartis Korea), ▲ Alkyloxan Tab (JW Pharmaceutical), ▲ Purinetone Tab (Korea United Pharm,) ▲ Tasigna Cap. 200mg (Novartis Korea), ▲ Afinitor Tab 10mg (Novartis Korea), etc. The society reported "The number of items with a wholesale inventory of 5% or less compared to the supply was confirmed to be 110. This is the fourth consecutive week more than 100 items are having difficulties in wholesale supply, following 105 items in the third week of March, 117 items in the fourth week, and 108 items in the first week of April.” There were also 6 drugs with supply interruptions and shortages, which is an increase from the 3 in the previous week. The medicines discontinued or in short supply included 1 oral warfarin drug, 1 diabetic macular edema treatment, 2 eye surgery aids such as cataract surgery, and 2 anti-malignant tumor drugs. Among these, the shortage of the warfarin drug was due to the aftermath of the discontinuation of Jeil Pharmacuetical’s same product in February last year. Although a substitute is available for the warfarin formulation, the substitute is 30 times more expensive than the warfarin drug. The other drugs with supply interruptions and shortages are known to have substitutes available. The KPDS said, “The hospital-reported shortages included antineoplastic drugs, emergency hypertension drugs, enteral nutrition drugs, treatments for sexual precocity and prostate cancer, plasma protein albumin, ulcerative colitis drugs, and osteoporosis injections. The shortages of emergency hypertension drugs, enteral nutrition drugs, and albumin, which were pointed out as an issue in the previous report, do not seem to have been resolved due to the lack of substitutes."
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- KPA, “to discuss ingredient prescribing in upcoming FAPA"
- by Kim JiEun Mar 05, 2024 05:49am
- The Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) held ‘The 70th General Meeting of Senior Representatives’ for 2024. Kwang-Hoon Choi, President of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA), has announced that he would assign the proposal for active ingredient prescribing as the priority agenda for the Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations (FAPA) Congress, which is scheduled to be held in October this year. Choi aims to convince the Korean citizens and the government to support active ingredient prescribing. In preparation for this proposal, the KPA is discussing with the government to simplify the substitute drug post-notification procedures. During ‘The 70th General Meeting of Senior Representatives’ on the 28th, KPA (President: Kwang-Hoon Choi) voted to partially revise last year’s KPA presidential election rules. Moreover, a Q&A session was held with the senior representatives and the executive branch to discuss current issues involving pharmacists During the meeting, KPA reviewed seven items, including ‘Revising the election rules for President of KPA and head of branch office,’ and reached decisions. The election rules were decided during last year’s meeting for senior representatives, but the rules were partially revised and finalized during this year’s meeting. In addition, KPA finalized the following matters: ▲2023 audits, and the approval of annual revenue and annual expenditure budget ▲Voting rights for the review of the 2024 business plan ▲Voting rights for the review of the 2024 approval of annual revenue and annual expenditure budget ▲Confirmation of the vice president’s position ▲Approval of a new member of the board of directors ▲Consideration of suggestions from the regional branch. Moreover, the management reports and audits of 2023 regarding KPA’s affiliated agencies, including K-Pharm news, Korea Institute for Pharmaceutical Policy Affairs (KIPPA), and Korea Pharmaceutical Information Center (KPIC), have been reported. During the meeting, the senior representatives voiced many questions about the welfare of the pharmacist society and current policies. The questions were mainly about resolving drug shortages, the system for transferring prescriptions, a system crash during the public transfer of prescriptions, and KPA’s support for introducing active ingredient prescribing. Furthermore, several representatives expressed their concerns regarding KPA’s affiliated agencies, such as KPIC and KIPPA, and ongoing businesses. Regarding KIPPA, there were concerns raised about the malfunctioning KIPPA website and the lack of research on current issues faced by pharmacists. Several senior representatives raised concerns about KPIC’s ongoing business for developing a cloud-based PSP system, which aims to be accomplished by the end of this year. Upon receiving questions and comments from the senior representative regarding the issue, Choi stepped forward and explained KPA’s stand and the association’s strategy. “With the expansion of telemedicine prescribing, there has been an increasing need for active ingredient prescribing. The KPA executive branch continues to support this proposal,” Kwang-Hoon Choi, President of the KPA, stated. “KPA regards simplifying the substitute drug post-notification procedures as a stepping stone for the next step and is discussing this issue with the government. During the FAPA Seoul congress, we aim to prioritize the proposal for active ingredient prescribing as an agenda and gain support from the Korean citizens and the government,” Choi added.
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- NA Opp party in unison say ‘it's time for INN prescribing'
- by Kim JiEun Feb 29, 2024 06:03am
- Opposition lawmakers unanimously voiced the need to introduce International Nonproprietary Names (INN) prescribing and the resolution of the unstable drug supply and demand. The National Assembly representatives who attended the 70th Regular General Assembly of the Korean Pharmaceutical Association Delegates that was held at The K Hotel in Seoul on the 28th pledged their active support in resolving the pending issues and policies that remain in Korea’s pharmaceutical affairs. Rep. Ihk-pyo Hong (floor leader, Democratic Party of Korea), Rep. Min-seok Kim (member, Democratic Party of Korea), Rep Sang-hee Kim (member, Democratic Party of Korea) Speaking at the event, Rep. Ihk-pyo Hong, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "International conflicts are even affecting the medicines I take. They have disrupted the global supply chain and affected the supply of medicines. The government needs to come up with a solution to resolve the issue of this unstable drug supply." Rep. Ihk-pyo Hong added, “We need to institutionalize and legislate INN prescribing. The concerns in health insurance finances caused by original drugs is an international issue. We need to make efforts to institutionalize INN prescribing." "The pilot project for non-face-to-face medical treatment is a major topic these days. A public electronic prescription system should be established in the process of institutionalizing non-face-to-face treatment to minimize side effects related to the current prescription transmission. Rep. Min-Seok Kim, a Democratic Party lawmaker (member of the Health and Welfare Committee), said, "It is problematic that the pilot project for non-face-to-face treatment was implemented in the name of deregulation. It is urgent to institutionalize a public electronic prescription delivery system. I have INN prescribing written down an agenda that needs legislation. We all know that it is a main issue that needs resolution for medical order and publicity in our society.” Rep. Min-seok Kim added, “INN prescribing is an issue that should be approached through a social agreement, and I hope the issue is presented for the first time in the next National Assembly. We need to discuss the working environment and grounds for young pharmacists. They would also want to work under a fair order. We will work to create that fair order with pharmacists who have served on the side of the people." Rep Sang-hee Kim, another member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "In no case should the public have difficulty buying medicine at pharmacies due to a lack of medicine. It is so difficult to restore medical school admissions to the number that was reduced after negotiation with doctors during the separation of prescribing and dispensing. Also, the Korean medicine pharmacist system was created as a result of the Korean medicine dispute. Such side effects of wrong policies are difficult to resolve and lead to public burden. I am grateful to the pharmacists for their participation in putting the people first."
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- Forxiga return policy in question amid AZ-Daewoong dispute
- by Kang, Hye-Kyung Feb 05, 2024 05:54am
- Forxiga Tab. There was initial confusion among front-line pharmacies regarding the return policy for Forxiga, which is set to be withdrawn from the Korean market. However, it appears that the issue is now being resolved. According to the pharmacy industry sources, there has been a disagreement between AstraZeneca Korea and Daewoong Pharmaceutical regarding the return policy of Forxiga tablet following the decision for Forxiga withdrawal from the domestic market. In 2018, AstraZeneca Korea entered into a partnership agreement with Daewoong Pharmaceutical to co-promote Forxiga and Xigduo. After the end of the domestic distribution contract with Daewoong Pharmaceutical, confusion arose in the market. Currently, HK inno.N has taken over the sales of Forxiga. During this period, pharmacists were denied returning the drugs. A pharmacist commented on the experience such as "I have initially requested a return for the drug to the distributor, but the answer was 'We do not accept returns because the marketing and distribution agreement has ended. Instead, contact AstraZeneca.' However, AstraZeneca said, 'We do not take returns because we are no longer involved in the distributing business.' Both parties rejected returns." "When I was making returns due to changes in the prescription, having two parties reject the returns was confusing," said the pharmacist. It was reported that other pharmacies had also experienced confusions when processing returns. Daewoong has officially informed wholesalers, hospital pharmacy departments, and pharmacies that 'Starting from the 19th, distribution of Forxiga will be suspended due to the contract ending. Although the sales and distribution of existing stock will continue, any returns must be made through AstraZeneca Korea once the distribution and sales are suspended.' On the 30th, AstraZeneca clarified its return policy and informed that 'Returns can be processed through HK inno.N’s cooperating wholesalers, and the pharmacies that have direct transactions with Daewoong can continue to make returns through Daewoong.' On the 30th, AstraZeneca Korea and HK inno.N entered into a partnership agreement to distribute Forxiga and co-promote Xigduo Tab and Sidapvia Tab. "We will do our best to stabilize the supply of Forxiga for patients who are using it for the treatment of diabetes, chronic heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. AstraZeneca Korea will be responsible for the marketing and sales of Forxia and HK inno.N will manage the distribution of Forxiga by the end of this year," AstraZeneca Korea and HK inno.N stated.
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- Shortage no more for Saxenda?...'will increase supply'
- by Kang, Hye-Kyung Jan 15, 2024 05:36am
- The supply of Saxenda, which had been showing stock shortages in pharmacies nationwide, is expected to soon increase in Korea. Novo Nordisk announced on the 10th that it has been gradually increasing the supply of Saxenda from this month. The increased supply is expected to reduce the hassle of pharmacies that have been sending patients away due to stock shortages and resolve the inconvenience of patients having to visit many pharmacies looking for any that have Saxenda in stock. In response to Dailpharm’s report on “Saxenda’s shortage prolonged…raises inconveniences,” Novo Nordisk said, "We are aware of the recent stock shortages of Saxedna at pharmacies that resulted from the increased demand for Saxenda due to due to increased interest in weight loss in the end-of-year and the beginning-of-year seasons. However, we have been continuously producing and distributing the drug to Korea. The company added that it has been gradually increasing the supply since January. Novo Nordisk said, "We are currently experiencing high global demand for all of our products, which is causing supply and capacity constraints across our product portfolio. Over the past 6 months, we have invested around KRW 11 trillion in our production facilities alone to ensure a stable supply of our products.” However, the company explained that is not easy to predict the exact timing of when the shortage will end, as it will take time for the increased supply to enter the market to ensure safety and quality. "We deeply understand the importance and need to ensure the continuity of treatment for our patients and are making the most efforts to stabilize the supply of our drugs for patients in Korea.” Meanwhile, there are still posts and inquiries being uploaded to local community cafes and beauty cafes asking for pharmacies or clinics that have Saxenda in stock. There are also posts uploaded to pharmacist communities asking about Saxenda supply plans or requesting exchanges.
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- Saxenda’s shortage prolonged…raises inconveniences
- by Kang, Hye-Kyung Jan 10, 2024 05:42am
- Saxenda's prolonged out-of-stock status is inconveniencing consumers as well as pharmacies. As many patients set New Year’s resolutions of losing weight at the beginning of the year, the lack of Saxenda is causing dissatisfaction among pharmacies and consumers. Even diabetes patients are experiencing the inconvenience of insulin stockouts, including Saxenda. According to a local pharmacy, Saxenda’s stock shortage began to surface around November last year. Since then, supply and demand disruptions spread across the country, and it is now commonplace for patients to leave empty-handed from. pharmacies, even with prescriptions. Pharmacist A said, " Although many people are deciding to lose weight with the start of the new year, they can't fill their prescriptions because the pharmacies do not have the medicine. Many of those who come in with prescriptions complain that they have already visited several pharmacies due to Saxenda’s stock shortage.” While some doctors have reportedly notified the patients of this stock shortage and are not issuing prescriptions, many doctors who prescribe outpatient prescriptions do not give prior notice, leaving patients to do all the legwork. Pharmacist B said, "I've only heard that the manufacturer is experiencing difficulties in meeting the supply and that the supply will resume later this month, but I don’t know if this is accurate information. Most pharmacies will have also run out of stock due to the prolonged shortage.” Due to its rarity, local communities and diabetes communities are filled with posts asking which pharmacies still have remaining stock of Saxenda. This has led to some illegal trading between individuals or marketing by clinics. Because second-hand platforms forbid drug transactions between individuals, this has led to illegal transactions through open chat rooms. Dailypharm also covered the issue of second-hand trading of self-injectable drugs in open chat rooms in October last year. Pharmacist C said, “There are also posts that promote their clinics using the desperate psychology of consumers in finding Saxenda in stock. Although these advertisers use different nicknames for each internal cafe, the content is the same. I suspect these are PR posts uploaded by part-timers. It doesn't seem right that some clinics are using the stock shortage to promote their clinics when pharmacies are out of stock of Saxenda and unable to dispense the drug. Meanwhile, the Korean Pharmacists Association for a Healthy Society urged the government to take a responsible stance and address the out-of-stock drugs. "The severity of the problem is illustrated by dozens of posts on cancer cafes by cancer patients saying that they were unable to receive necessary treatment due to stock shortage, and the piling comments and inquiries on which hospitals have the necessary drugs. The government should take the best measures to ensure that citizens have the belief that the drugs they take today will be available tomorrow. We look forward to the government's efforts in ensuring the public to use essential medicines without worries."
