- LOGIN
- MemberShip
- 2026-05-07 18:03:06
- Company
- Will Paxlovid open a market for elderly people’s benefits?
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Oct 16, 2023 05:24am
- As the sense of crisis regarding COVID-19 infection is decreasing, attention is being paid to whether Paxlovid, a treatment drug, can successfully be registered for insurance benefits. Pfizer Korea is currently proceeding with the registration process for Paxlovid, which has been approved as an oral treatment for COVID-19, with the goal of listing it for insurance benefits in the first half of next year. The government announced that it will pursue the registration of Paxlovid insurance benefits within the first half of 2024 in accordance with the plan to ease the COVID-19 crisis level adjustment roadmap. This measure is due to the fact that Paxlovid, which is currently supplied free of charge, is about to be converted to a paid supply like general medicines. When stage 2 of the COVID-19 crisis level adjustment roadmap, which further relaxes the quarantine system, is implemented next month, COVID-19 will transform into a level 4 infectious disease like influenza. The government said that even if the second stage roadmap is implemented, it will provide oral COVID-19 treatments free of charge for the time being, but it is unknown how long the free provision period will last. Therefore, the smooth prescription of Paxlovid will be determined depending on whether or not it is registered for future benefits. The need for COVID-19 measures for the elderly was also raised during the National Assembly audit. At the Ministry of Health and Welfare inspection held at the National Assembly on the 11th, Secretary of the Health and Welfare Committee Koh Young-in (Democratic Party of Korea) said, "As COVID-19 has reached an epidemic level, free support such as PCR tests and treatments has been discontinued, and starting next year, health insurance coverage will also be extended to general medical care. "The system changes. For the elderly, the fatality rate is 50 times that of those in their 40s, and the treatment costs from about 800,000 won to 1 million won, and when the patient copayment becomes 30%, the treatment cost is about 300,000 won," he pointed out. The government also says it will consider a plan for this. Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Gyu-hong said, "There are cases where the epidemic trend increases at certain times, but it is currently decreasing. The transition to the medical system is being decided after listening to the opinions of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and experts." He added, "I agree that the fatality rate is still high for the elderly. “There is a burden on the cost of the treatment, so we will consider a plan. Even if it is not necessarily free support, we will discuss a plan to ease the burden,” he replied.
- Policy
- Regkirona approval is for the Moon care to build up records
- by Lee, Jeong-Hwan Oct 13, 2023 05:30am
- People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jong-seong pointed out the Moon Jae-in government's budget support for Celltrion's COVID-19 treatment Regkirona as a problem. Rep. Lee Jong-seong criticized the approval of Regkirona, saying it lacked proper verification of effectiveness in order to build on the previous government's legacy of the K vaccine. On the 11th, Rep. Lee pointed out to Minister Cho Gyu-hong at the Ministry of Health and Welfare's audit of government affairs, "The Moon Jae-in administration's approval of Regkirona and encouragement of its use is a fraud on the public," urging him to launch an investigation. Minister Cho responded to Rep. Lee's request, saying, "We will conduct an investigation to respond to the next pandemic." Rep. Lee argued that the previous government launched a pan-government support group for vaccine development to promote policies such as vaccine sovereignty, K-Bio, and K-vaccine, and set out to accumulate achievements. He said that there were improprieties in the licensing and distribution process of Celltrion Regkirona. Rep. Lee said, “At the time, Lee Nak-yeon, leader of the ruling party, officially set the drug price prior to government drug price negotiations, saying that the drug price should be at least 400,000 won before the committee meeting.” Lee I-won said, “During the product change approval process, it was approved through a vote even though there were opinions that it was not effective against the COVID-19 delta variant strain.” Rep. Lee said, "In December, we encouraged the elderly in an official letter to actively use it," adding, "Ultimately, they forced us to build the legacy of developing Korea's first COVID-19 treatment with Regkirona. This is a fraud on the public." did.
- Policy
- NA Rep Kang ‘Increase gov't support to treat breast cancer'
- by Lee, Jeong-Hwan Oct 13, 2023 05:29am
- It has been pointed out that the government should strengthen economic support for innovative new drugs that treat severe diseases to improve the treatment rate of breast cancer patients. The number of female cancer patients is significantly higher than that of male cancer patients in the same age group, and the number of breast cancer patients has been steadily increasing since 2020 until last year, raising the need for measures. On the 12th, Rep. Ki-Youn Kang of the People Power Party made this claim based on the statistics submitted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. According to the number of cancer patients by age in Korea over the past 3 years, there were more cancer patients among women than among men. Among the same gender, the proportion of female cancer patients in their 40s and 50s was significantly higher. As of July this year, there were 173,066 female cancer patients in their 40s, which accounted for 10.3% of all cancer patients. This figure is more than 3 times higher than that of the 3.4% taken by male cancer patients in the same age group (56,619 patients). The number of female cancer patients in their 50s accounted for 15% (252,058 patients), which was more than twice as high as the 6.9% (115,482 patients) of male cancer patients in their 50s. In addition, even within the same gender, the proportion of female cancer patients aged between 0 to those in their 30s accounted for 1.3% and 4.2% of the total cancer patients, respectively, while the number of patients in their 40s or older increased explosively to account for double digits. In particular, among all female cancer patients, the number of breast cancer patients has been steadily increasing, from 242,945 in 2020 to 262,839, then to 281,114 in 2021, and the number of patients has also been higher than that of other cancers. In the case of breast cancer, its 5-year survival rate is 90%, but for Stage IV patients, the rate plummets to 34%, indicating the importance of receiving treatment on time. However, patients in Korea cannot easily use innovative drugs due to their high cost, and many patients are thus giving up treatment. This is why the government's economic support for serious diseases is urgently needed. Rep. Ki-Youn Kang said, “In no case shall Kore give rise to a saying such as ‘the rich live longer, and the poor die faster’ where patients are unable to receive treatment due to lack of treatment costs. Receiving drug treatment on time can greatly help improve survival rates, and the Yoon Suk-Yeol administration has also set the prompt listing of treatments for severe diseases to ease the burden of high medical costs as a national task, the relevant ministries must have the will to strengthen support for serious diseases.”
- Company
- Bayer Korea appoints JinA Lee as new Managing Director
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Oct 13, 2023 05:29am
- JinA Lee, new Managing Director of Bayer Korea Bayer Korea appointed JinA Lee (54) as the new Managing Director. With this appointment, Lee will become the first Korean head to be appointed to the establishment of Bayer Korea. The company recently announced through an internal announcement that it will appoint JinA Lee, former CDH (Country Division Head) of Pharmaceuticals and Managing Director of Bayer Thai, as the new Managing Director of Bayer Korea as of November. The current Managing Director, Freda Lin, who has led the Korean subsidiary since December 2019, will resign accordingly. After graduating from the Department of Pharmacy at Duksung Women’s University, Lee worked at Roche in 1994 and Merck Serono in 2006, and joined Bayer as the head of the cardiovascular disease BU in 2013. In 2018, she was assigned to take responsibility for New Launching Brand Lead at Bayer headquarters in Germany. She returned to Korea in February last year. From October 2018, Lee also served as the interim head of the Korean subsidiary's pharmaceutical BU due to the appointment of former Managing Director Ingrid Drechsel to Bayer Turkiye. Bayer consists of three divisions - Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, and Crop Science. The company has been led by foreigners including Friedrich-Wilhelm Gause, Niels Hessman, and Ingrid Drechsel as heads, and the appointment of Managing Director JinA Lee is the company’s first transition to a domestic head.
- Policy
- The fate of the drugs identified in the inspeciton inspectio
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Oct 13, 2023 05:29am
- Specifically, they are breast cancer treatment Enhertu, Parkinson's disease treatment Madopar, and other immunotherapy drugs. Enhertu was mentioned by People Power Party lawmaker Kang Ki-yoon. He said that the number of female cancer patients is rapidly increasing and ordered coverage of expensive innovative treatments. At this point, Enhertu appeared. He said, “It costs about 150 million won to cure breast cancer with Enhertu,” and asked for prompt payment, saying, “Many unfortunate cases are occurring due to lack of money.” Enhertu is currently tied up in HIRA. After a retrial last May, the Cancer Disease Review Committee established the benefit standards, but the Pharmaceutical Review Committee has not yet reviewed the adequacy of the benefits. There was no news from Enhertu at the Pharmaceutical Review Committee held on the 12th. This drug is effective, so the analysis is that the high survival rate of patients is actually holding back PE. It is difficult to prove cost-effectiveness due to increased use. Attention is being paid to whether a breakthrough in salary will be achieved thanks to Rep. Kang's order during this National Assembly inspection. There was also an order to speed up reimbursement for immunotherapy drugs whose indications are being expanded. This is the order of People Power Party lawmaker Choi Jae-hyung. He emphasized, “Please accelerate the coverage of the expansion of indications for cancer immunotherapy drugs such as Keytruda, Opdivo, Tecentriq, and Bavencio,” adding, “This is the last hope for patients with rare incurable cancers.” In response, Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyu-hong responded that he would review it. Part of the agenda for expanding reimbursement for cancer immunotherapy is also in the HIRA evaluation stage. In particular, in the case of Keytruda, following the expansion of reimbursement for first-line non-small cell lung cancer treatment last year, the company applied for expansion of reimbursement for 13 indications in June. On the 11th, the review committee decided to reconsider the three indications, saying that further evaluation was necessary. Fortunately, there was no failure in setting the salary standard, so attention will be paid to whether a positive result will come out in accordance with the National Assembly's request during the next discussion. Roche's 'Madopa', a treatment for Parkinson's disease, is a different case from the previous drugs for which reimbursement was promoted. This drug was already withdrawn from Korea in January. The application period for insurance benefits for inventory drugs is until December of this year. However, patients continue to request this drug. The patient personally appeared as a witness at the government inspection and appealed to be allowed to continue taking Madopa. Mr. Kim, who suffers from Parkinson's disease, said, "Patients have continued their lives by taking Madopa, but as prescriptions have become impossible, patients are suffering." He said, “Generic drugs are difficult to take due to side effects.” At the same time, he asked, “Patients are aware that generic Madopa has obvious side effects, and we ask for help so that they can continue to take Madopa tablets.” Justice Party lawmaker Kang Eun-mi said, “Many Parkinson’s disease treatments are currently being discontinued.” She asked, “The Ministry of Health and Welfare should step forward and help patients feel at ease.” Minister Cho said, “We will make efforts to resupply the original medicine as there is a demand for it.” Minister Cho responded, “We will discuss with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance.” It remains to be seen whether the Mado faction that has withdrawn from the country will return.
- Policy
- Reimb extensions for Keytruda to be rediscussed later
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Oct 13, 2023 05:29am
- MSD Korea's immunotherapy drug 'Keytruda (pembrolizumab)', which applied for a large-scale reimbursement extension, was unable to pass the first hurdle and was determined in need of rediscussions. The authorities plan to first receive the pharmaceutical company's financial sharing plan and then decide whether to set a reimbursement standard. The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service announced that it decided to rediscuss the agenda of expanding the reimbursement standard for Keytruda at the 7th 2023 Cancer Disease Deliberation Committee meeting that was held on the 11th. The indications for Keytruda that were deliberated for reimbursement extensions were ▲ as a first-line treatment in combination with platinum- and fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) (tumors with epicenter 1 to 5 centimeters above the GEJ) carcinoma that is not amenable to surgical resection or definitive chemoradiation either who express programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) [combined positive score (CPS) ≥10]; ▲ for use in combination with lenvatinib to treat patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR), who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation; and ▲the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer (CRC). The CDDC explained, “We plan to first review the medical feasibility and medical necessity for each indication among the many indications the company applied to extend Keytruda’s reimbursement to and receive the pharmaceutical companies' financial sharing plan (drafts) for the overall finances of proven indications to determine their impact before setting the reimbursement standards.” Keytruda is an anti-PD-1 immunotherapy drug, that is currently being reimbursed for 7 indications for 4 cancer types in Korea. Last year, its reimbursement was extended to include its use as a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer. Keytruda has 38 indications in 18 cancers approved under the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In Korea, the company applied to extend reimbursement to 13 of the indications in June. The 13 indications Keytruda applied for are as follows: ▲ early-stage triple-negative breast cancer; ▲locally recurrent or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, ▲metastatic or with unresectable, recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, ▲ locally advanced or metastatic esophageal or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) carcinoma, ▲adjuvant treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma, ▲non-muscle invasive bladder cancer,▲persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer,▲ advanced endometrial carcinoma, ▲advanced endometrial carcinoma that is microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) ▲ unresectable or metastatic MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer ▲metastatic MSI-H or dMMR small bowel cancer, ▲ metastatic MSI-H or dMMR ovarian cancer, and ▲ metastatic MSI-H or dMMR pancreatic cancer This time, the government deliberated on extending reimbursement to 3 of the indications. Meanwhile, the reimbursement standards for 2 new anticancer drugs have been established. Kyowa Kirin Korea’s ‘Poteligeo Inj.’ and Pfizer Korea’s ‘Mylotarg Inj.’ are the beneficiaries. However, the government decided to rediscuss the reimbursement of Handok’s ‘Pemazyre Tab.’ Also, Folfirinox (oxaliplatin + irinotecan + leucovorin + 5-FU), which has sought to expand reimbursement as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for borderline resectable pancreatic cancer, succeeded in setting reimbursement standards.
- Company
- Companies entering the Middle East caught in the crossfire
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Oct 12, 2023 05:38am
- On the 7th (local time), the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas attacked Israel (CNN photo) On the 7th (local time), the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas attacked Israel (CNN photo). As the situation in Israel and nearby regions has deteriorated rapidly due to large-scale airstrikes by the Palestinian armed political faction Hamas, domestic pharmaceutical and bio companies that have entered or are seeking to enter the Middle East appear to be paying close attention. The prevailing view is that the immediate damage will not be significant, but there is also the view that if the conflict spreads throughout the Middle East region, disruption to each company's long-term plans will be inevitable. Middle East pharmaceutical export companies, “Israel’s share is small… the damage will not be significant.” According to the pharmaceutical industry on the 11th, companies that export pharmaceuticals directly to Middle Eastern countries expect that the immediate damage from this dispute will be minimal. This is because Israel, where the conflict occurred, does not have a large export volume, and in the case of neighboring Middle Eastern countries, the terms of pharmaceutical export contracts are structured so that it is difficult to cause immediate damage. An official from a pharmaceutical company that exports medicines to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said, "Domestic pharmaceutical companies trading with Middle Eastern countries are generally not very shaken." “Because it’s not big,” he said. In fact, according to the Korea Customs Service, medicines exported from Korea to Israel last year amounted to $7.74 million. Compared to major export countries such as the UAE ($30.29 million), Saudi Arabia ($26.04 million), Egypt ($22.85 million), and Iraq ($18.88 million), it is around 25-40%. This year is also similar. As of last August, pharmaceutical exports to Israel amounted to $3.79 million, less than half of those to Saudi Arabia ($24.31 million), the UAE ($17.05 million), Iraq ($12.4 million), and Egypt ($9.77 million). The terms of contracts with Middle Eastern countries are also cited as a reason why immediate damage is not expected. It is said that usually, pharmaceutical export contracts with countries where there is a risk of conflict are concluded with the supply of medicines after receiving an advance payment. An official from another pharmaceutical company that exports medicines to Middle Eastern countries said, “In the case of major Middle Eastern countries where there is a possibility of conflict, contracts are written by exchanging cash instead of a letter of credit transaction.” He added, “Usually, 100% is received in advance or 50% is paid first. “We receive the remainder after supplying medicine,” he explained. He added, “Generally if a contract cannot be fulfilled due to war or other reasons, the contract period is automatically extended unless there are special circumstances.” However, it was also predicted that damage would be inevitable if this conflict spreads to nearby countries and is prolonged. He said, “The key export countries are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE. We are closely watching the possibility of conflict spreading to these countries.” SK Bioscience, SK Biopharmaceuticals, Daewoong, etc. seeking to enter the Middle East “There will be no significant impact as it is in the early stages” Large pharmaceutical companies seeking to enter the Middle East region are in a similar mood. As expansion into the Middle East region has not yet been confirmed, the prevailing view is that the damage will be minimal. An official from SK Bioscience said, “We are just beginning to explore expansion into the Middle East,” and added, “This dispute will not have a significant impact on business discussions.” SK Bioscience proposed a partnership to build a base vaccine hub in the Middle East early this year. SK Bioscience's plan is to enter the Middle East market based on its successful experience in developing a COVID-19 vaccine. Officials from SK Biopharmaceuticals and Daewoong Pharmaceutical also agreed, saying, “We are closely monitoring the local situation, but we do not expect there to be a significant impact on the existing plan.” Last August, SK Biopharmaceuticals signed a technology export contract for the epilepsy treatment drug 'Cenobamate' with Middle Eastern pharmaceutical company Hikma. In addition, it was decided to grant priority negotiating rights to Hikma when products are launched in 16 Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt. Daewoong Pharmaceutical applied for product approval for Fexuclue, a P-CAB-based gastroesophageal reflux disease treatment, to the Saudi Arabian health authorities at the beginning of the year. In May last year, product approval for botulinum toxin ‘Nabota’ was received in Saudi Arabia. Daewoong Pharmaceutical plans to target the Middle East region, including Saudi Arabia, focusing on Nabota and Fexuclue. In the case of Samsung BioLogics, it signed a CDMO contract with the Israeli pharmaceutical company KAHR Medical in 2021 for an immunotherapy drug (substance name: DSP502). It provides a one-stop service from cell line development of DSP502 to clinical raw drug production, finished product production service, and IND approval. Regarding this, a Samsung BioLogics official said, “CDO contracts usually do not have a long supply period.” He said, “It has been two and a half years since the contract was signed, and the contractual supply is now almost complete.”
- Company
- Bukwang Pharm’s Ozanex lands in major general hospitals
- by Nho, Byung Chul Oct 12, 2023 05:37am
- Bukwang Pharm announced that its new topical antibiotic Ozanex cream(ozenoxacin)’ recently passed the drug committee of Seoul St.Mary’s Hospital and can be prescribed in major general hospitals in Korea. Ozanex, a topical antibiotic that Bukwang was first to introduce to Korea, is currently being prescribed at various major general hospitals nationwide including Seoul St.Mary’s Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Sinchon Severance Hospital, Asan Medical Center, Hanyang University Hospital, Korea University Hospital, Chonnam National University Hospital, and Kyungpook National University Hospital. Ozanex was approved by the U.S. FDA in December 2017 and newly released in Korea in December last year it is a prescription drug that is effective against staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) and Streptococcus pyogenes(S. pyogenes), the main causes of infectious skin diseases, and is indicated for the short-tem topical treatment of impetigo in patients aged 2 months and older1. For infectious skin diseases, topical antibiotics need to be used for an appropriate period at an appropriate dose according to an expert's accurate diagnosis and prescription to reduce the development of resistance and provide effective treatment. According to Professor Jung-Soo Kim of the Department of Dermatology at Hanyang University Guri Hospital, “Topical antibiotics that can treat impetigo include ozenoxacin and mupirocin. Ozenoxacin is a new non-fluorinated quinolone antibiotic that offers improved resistance and safety. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes are the most common cause of various skin infectious diseases, including impetigo. Oozenoxacin demonstrated bactericidal activity against these two strains. In particular, in a large-scale clinical study that involved patients with impetigo, the bacterial culture test showed bacteriological eradication as early as day 3 of treatment, with a negative conversion rate of 87%. Based on such results, HCPs expect the drug will effectively reduce the contagiousness of impetigo in the early stages. A Bukwang Phamr official said, “Ozanex will settle as a new option for infectious skin diseases including impetigo. We expect Bukwang’s various skin disease treatments to support HCPS and their treatment practices in Korea.”
- Opinion
- [Reporter’s View] KRPIA pulls out ‘structural reform' card
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Oct 12, 2023 05:37am
- The Korean Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA) has pulled out the ‘expenditure structure reform’ card as a solution to finance new drug expenditures. Although the message seems somewhat familiar, it is a new and unprecedented request. On the 4th, KPRIA released the results of 'A study on the analysis and rationalization of drug expenditures for new drugs in Korea' conducted by Professor Jong-Hyuk Lee from Chung-Ang University’s College of Pharmacy. Study results showed that the expenditures spent on new drugs from the national health insurance finances accounted for 8.5% of total drug costs and 2.1% of the total national health insurance medical costs. In particular, the financial impact made by new drugs on national health insurance finances was among the lowest when compared with other OECD countries. More specifically, the annual drug expenditure spent on each new drug amounted to KRW 6.1 billion whilst the total drug expenditure spent in Korea over the past 10 years amounted to KRW 164.2 trillion. In this analysis, the financial expenditures spent on items that were waived pharmacoeconomic evaluation data submissions and were subject to RSA, which account for most of the new drugs used to treat serious diseases such as cancer and rare diseases, were low, accounting for 0.3% and 2.7%, respectively, of the total drug cost. In addition, the financial impact of new drugs according to their serious disease classification status showed that drug expenditures spent on new drugs for severe and rare diseases (cancer, rare diseases) were found to only account for 3.3% of the total drug costs, suggesting the low treatment access available for domestic patients with severe and rare diseases. If so, why are studies and claims that should have been made a long time ago being raised and regarded as unusual now? The fact that new drugs account for a small portion of drug expenditures means that drug costs of existing drugs, not new drugs, account for a sizable portion of the expenditures. In other words, Korea spends 91.5% of its drug expenditures on drugs that are not new. The direction of improving the expenditure structure, which the KRPIA has suggested, is to increase the proportion of new drugs and to reduce the proportion of drug expenditures spent on drugs that are not new. It is an agenda that is bound to bring conflict of interest between new drug developers and non-developer pharmaceutical companies. However, there is no doubt that new drugs are important to Korea’s society as a whole. Prior to pointing out the limitations and reliability of the research published this time; it is necessary to consider Korea’s current expenditure structure. However, the number of expensive drugs is indeed increasing, and the number of drugs that remain non-reimbursed due to their potential financial impact is also rising. Korea has been known for its strong health insurance coverage supported by the national health insurance system framework. Even if the government had been a little insensitive to the changes in trends in related industries, new drugs have now surely become mainstream. Therefore, it is now time to consider adapting and evolving Korea’s expenditure structure and priorities accordingly.
- Policy
- Overseas drug price comparison plan to be announced
- by Lee, Tak-Sun Oct 12, 2023 05:37am
- The final plan will likely be finalized after gathering opinions from the pharmaceutical industry. It is expected that a plan to reevaluate overseas drug prices will be revealed around the end of the year. Health authorities plan to prepare a reevaluation plan by the end of the year and then proceed with it starting next year. According to the industry on the 11th, the HIRA is in the process of preparing a draft plan for comparative reevaluation of overseas drug prices. The draft is expected to determine the reevaluation method and target, as well as the foreign drug price reference formula. Once the draft is completed, a working group is expected to be established to collect opinions from the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical organizations such as the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Association have requested a working group to establish a plan to compare and reevaluate overseas drug prices. As health authorities plan to prepare a final plan by the end of the year, discussions are expected to accelerate after the National Assembly audit. The pharmaceutical industry predicts that reevaluation will proceed sequentially, mainly focusing on chronic disease drugs whose patents have expired. There are concerns that if drug prices are reduced through reevaluation, the damage will increase. Accordingly, the possibility of filing a lawsuit against the government is already being discussed. Since the draft has not yet been released, it is difficult to make hasty predictions. An official in the pharmaceutical industry said, “If the completed plan is made public around the end of the year, there is a high possibility that the final plan will be prepared quickly through the working group after the National Assembly inspection. The pharmaceutical industry is concerned about major damage, and it seems that it will be possible to make a prediction after looking at the draft." The comparative reevaluation of overseas drug prices is also included in the 1st National Health Union Plan announced in 2019. Last year's HIRA included Canada as a reference country for overseas drug prices in addition to the existing seven countries (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan), laying the foundation for reevaluation. Initially, there was an attempt to include Australia, but it was canceled due to opposition from the pharmaceutical industry. In December of last year, at a public hearing on measures to improve health insurance sustainability and support essential medical services, a plan to reevaluate foreign drug prices for chronic disease drugs whose patents have expired was formalized, and earlier this year, the HIRA announced that it would prepare a plan by the end of the year.
