“Viatris Korea is pursuing growth through two pillars: a core brand-focused business and new pipelines. Based on the pillars, we expect to secure growth momentum once again on a global scale.”

Viatris Korea is working to strengthen its position in the domestic market by introducing a global innovative pipeline and driving continuous growth with its existing key product portfolio.

While striving to maintain its leadership in the chronic disease treatment market with products such as Lipitor, the company is also planning a two-track strategy to add innovation for future growth.

Dailypharm met with Bill Schuster, Representative Director & Country Manager of Viatris Korea, who is entering his third year in office, to hear about the company's growth strategy and mid- to long-term plans.

Bill Schuster marks third year as CEO: "Organizational culture is key to growth”

Since Bill Schuster took office, Viatris Korea has actively pursued changes to improve its organizational culture and strengthen its market response.

"In his first year as CEO in 2023, he focused on fostering a voluntary and participatory organizational culture led by employees, forming a task force centered on junior and mid-level managers, and working to redefine the company’s core values and principles of conduct."

Schuster described his leadership style as “transformational leadership.”

He explained, “I have not only strived to provide direction for our members but also to empower them with motivation and autonomy to achieve our shared vision." He added, "After experiencing the Great East Japan Earthquake, I came to realize the importance of work-life balance. Since then, I have led by example as a leader, fostering a culture that values and promotes work-life balance."’

A notable aspect of this transformation is the hospital-centric “Go-to-Market” strategy, which strengthens market response around Schuster's leadership.

“At Viatris, we have delineated roles by focusing on the hospital channel ourselves while assigning our partners to the clinic channel, thereby eliminating redundant sales structures across the two.” He added, “By strengthening key field-oriented functions, we go beyond being just a sales organization and seek to forge strategic partnerships.”

As part of such strategy, the company has strengthened collaborations with Jeil Pharmaceutical in the cardiovascular disease treatment sector and with SK Chemical in the pain management treatment sector.

He stated, “We have significantly expanded our hospital channel workforce and established a Key Account Management (KAM) system to provide tailored management for major hospitals and distribution channels. Additionally, we are identifying new opportunities with small and medium-sized hospitals through our Sales Account Management (SAM) system.”

These efforts align with Viatris Korea's portfolio. While its major therapeutic agents, such as Lipitor, which ranks first in the single-agent market for dyslipidemia, and Norvasc, which ranks first among CCB (calcium channel blocker) class hypertension treatments, hold high market shares, the company is also facing challenges due to the emergence of new treatment options.

In response, Schuster emphasized the expansion of the “base business centered on core brands.” 

He stated, “South Korea has one of the fastest aging populations in the world, so the demand for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and pain conditions is expected to continue to grow. In response, Viatris plans to carry out initiatives that raise disease awareness and improve treatment access.” 

This also includes strengthening market responsiveness through artificial intelligence (AI) and digital strategies.

Schuster said, “We are preparing a system that leverages AI technology to precisely analyze marketing performance and optimize resource allocation.” He added, “A pilot project is currently underway, with full-scale implementation targeted for 2025.”

He added, “We will leverage AI to analyze customer channel preferences and market trends and develop tailored communication strategies to deliver optimal information to both patients and healthcare professionals. In particular, we plan to actively adopt digital healthcare technologies to support more effective disease management for patients, especially in the areas of cardiovascular health and chronic pain.”

Viatris Korea secures growth momentum with customized capabilities for new drug launches

"In particular, Viatris Korea is laying the foundation for introducing global innovative drug pipelines into the domestic market, with the aim of establishing new growth engines for the future."

Notably, the acute pain treatment 'Meloxicam (MR-107A-02)' and the low-dose contraceptive patch 'XULANE LO' have shown positive effects in global Phase III clinical trials, raising expectations.

Specifically, Meloxicam is anticipated to arise as a non-opioid alternative and a new first-line treatment option for moderate to severe acute pain.

XULANE LO, a low-dose estrogen patch requiring a once-weekly application, is also receiving positive evaluations for its market potential. The company plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the second half of 2025.

If Viatris Korea maintains its existing core business while introducing new drugs over the next few years, concerns about the sustainability of the company’s long-term growth will be resolved.

Schuster emphasized, “While we already possess some of the necessary capabilities, we have determined that this is the time to enhance and expand our internal systems and personnel in preparation for future launches. Therefore, building the capabilities to execute new pipelines over the next few years will be a critical task.”

Currently, Viatris Korea has all the core functions, including development, approval, and compliance, and is capable of handling processes such as bridging clinical trials and approval applications with its own capabilities. However, the company plans to nurture a dedicated organization internally to establish launch strategies, secure market recognition, and handle customer communication in preparation for the launch of new drugs.

He added, “We aim to become a partner that goes beyond simply importing and selling drugs, and instead works to build a scientific and institutional foundation in Korea in the mid-to long- -term, we will not hesitate to make the necessary investments and collaborations to achieve this.”

Finally, he added, “Viatris Korea is committed to sustainable growth in the domestic market and will actively introduce global innovations to contribute to the local healthcare environment. We will continue to fulfill our responsibility as a company that enables patients to lead healthier lives.”