- Opinion
- [Reporter's View] Delays in medication switching for eczema
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Aug 13, 2024 05:48am
- When patients switch from their current medication to a different medication, the switched products are not covered by insurance reimbursement. This non-reimbursed status of medication switching has been a long-standing issue in South Korea. The field most impacted is atopic dermatitis. Treatment options had been limited for atopic derma
- Opinion
- [Column] On patent strategies post Amgen v. Sanofi dispute
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Aug 12, 2024 05:55am
- One of the most significant events that occurred in the bio-pharmaceutical sector in recent years was the ruling made on the Amgen vs. Sanofi patent dispute in the United States. In May last year, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its final ruling on the patent dispute between the two biotech giants. The case received special attention, as t
- Opinion
- [Reporter's View] Fostering Korea’s Pharma-Bio industry
- by Hwang, Byung-woo Aug 9, 2024 03:11am
- "Realistically speaking, it is not easy for the domestic pharmaceutical and bio industry to stand out in the global market. It's time we set a specific and clear direction and strategy." An industry expert with over 20 years of experience in pharmaceuticals in the U.S. who is currently serving as an advisor to government agencies in Korea
- Opinion
- [Reporter's View] govt's foreign drug price comparisons
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Aug 8, 2024 09:24am
- The pharmaceutical industry's concerns grow over the government's plan to reevaluate foreign drug price comparisons. The government has established a policy to reduce domestic drug prices by comparing them to those in 'A8 countries (United States·Japan·Germany·France·Italy·Switzerland·Canada).' As the policy is set to be effective,
- Opinion
- [Reporter’s View] More legislation needed for CSO reporting
- by Lee, Jeong-Hwan Aug 1, 2024 05:48am
- The enforcement of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, which requires Contract Sales Organizations (CSOs) to report to local governments and educate their employees on the prohibition of rebates, is now 2 months away. The pharmaceutical and CSO industries are hoping the implementation of the reporting system will serve as a milestone to incre
- Opinion
- [Reporter's View] Insight into reimb of high-priced drugs
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jul 30, 2024 05:52am
- How should we consider the reimbursement coverage of 'preventive' drugs that are not used to treat disease or improve symptoms? This is not a new concept. Individuals have taken medicines for 'management' rather than treatment for chronic diseases. Medicines such as coagulants are primarily preventive care. However, it has become an issue
- Opinion
- [Reporter's View] Pharmas rethink bio venture investments
- by Lee, Seok-Jun Jul 30, 2024 05:51am
- Multiple pharmaceutical companies have made significant investments in promising bio ventures, spending a substantial amount to acquire shares. Some have become the largest shareholder, and those holding over 5% of the share are involved in the management. Through the investment, companies anticipate sharing R&D results in the future. How
- Opinion
- [Reporter's View] Keeping up with the Chinese bio industry
- by Son, Hyung-Min Jul 24, 2024 05:51am
- The research and development (R&D) capabilities of Chinese pharmaceutical companies are going from strength to strength year after year. Last year, the immuno-oncology drug Loqtorzi, developed by Junshi Biosciences, was approved in the United States. It became the first Chinese immuno-oncology drug to be approved by the U.S. Food and Dru
- Opinion
- [Reporter’s View] ‘Cool time’ too short for price cuts
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Jul 19, 2024 05:47am
- There is a gaming term called 'cool time.’ It refers to the cooling down time a character in a game needs to wait before reusing a certain skill. Looking at the government's recent drug price reduction measures, its ‘cool time’ seems to be too short. The price cuts have been imposed on generic drugs continuously since around the 2020
- Opinion
- [Reporter’s view] public-private consultative body
- by Lee, Jeong-Hwan Jul 17, 2024 05:50am
- During the swine flu pandemic, South Korea had a challenging time due to the Tamiflu shortage. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government spent national finances to import vaccines from the U.S., Europe, and even Russia due to the absence of local mRNA vaccines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries worldwide focused on locally
