Essential Medicine for Pediatric and Emergency Care, "Samjin Lorazepam Injection," Designated as a Withdrawal-Prevention Medicine

Health Ministry to Adjust Prices of 14 Medicines Starting in November

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on Friday, October 30, that it would adjust the prices of 14 medicines designated for prevention of market withdrawal to support a stable supply of essential medicines.

Medicines designated for prevention of market withdrawal are low-priced drugs that are essential in clinical practice but generate insufficient profits, leading pharmaceutical companies to avoid producing or importing them. The government supports their stable supply by designating them for this program and reimbursing their production costs.

Under the strengthened support system, the Ministry of Health and Welfare will newly designate Samjin Lorazepam Injection as a medicine at risk of market withdrawal starting in November and reimburse its appropriate production costs. The drug is essential in pediatric care and emergency medicine, including for calming seizures in children and treating status epilepticus. However, its supply base was vulnerable, as there was only one domestic production facility.

In particular, concerns about supply disruptions grew in pediatric and emergency care after the facility announced last year that it planned to exit the market. Accordingly, the government has supported the entire process, including the transfer of rights and coverage under national health insurance, as Samjin Pharmaceutical agreed to take over production and supply of the product.

The ministry expects that designating and managing Samjin Lorazepam Injection as a medicine at risk of market withdrawal starting in November will stabilize its production base and generate annual fiscal savings of 20 billion won.

The ministry will also adjust the prices of Holoxan Injection and Endoxan Injection, both designated medicines at risk of market withdrawal, to stabilize their supply. These basic anticancer drugs are essential for treating serious cancers, including malignant lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukemia and breast cancer. As they are entirely dependent on imports and recent increases in raw material and transportation costs have caused supply concerns, the ministry plans to support a stable treatment environment for patients with serious illnesses through prompt reimbursement of production costs.

Yoo Ju-heon, director general of the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Health Insurance Policy Bureau, said, "Essential medicines used in clinical practice, including medicines at risk of market withdrawal, must be supplied as a top priority to protect the lives and health of the public. Under our expanded and revised support policies, we will continue working to ensure a stable supply of essential medicines facing supply uncertainty."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.