Breast cancer patients are demanding insurance coverage for Novartis' Piqray (alpelisib) after it failed to meet the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) Cancer Disease Review Committee's criteria.Piqray is a "PIK3CAα inhibitor" that blocks the excessive activity of the PI3K pathway
Referencing a recent paper “E-Cigarettes and Smoking: Correlation, Causation, and Selection Bias," Professor Anna Choi of Public Administration at Sejong University shared that the government's discouragement of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use, could have been a missed opportunity.Ba
A measure is being promoted to allow sperm donors for fertility treatment to receive the same protection as egg donors.Rep. Shin Hyun-young of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea proposed the “Bioethics Act Amendment Bill” to that effect on behalf of other lawmakers on Thursday.According to Shi
Amidst growing concerns and debates over the healthcare insurance system, European pharmaceutical companies have weighed in, highlighting the need to improve access to treatment for patients in Korea.The 2023 EU Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK) White Paper, detailing proposals concerning the regu
Regulators from across the globe emphasized that the realization of the “Smokefree 2030” policy requires the introduction of rational e-cigarette regulation policies through collaboration between the tobacco industry, regulators, and policymakers.The 13th Global Tobacco & Nicotine Forum 2023 (GTNF 2
Patient groups and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are running parallel over the safety and efficacy of generic drugs for Parkinson's.Industry insiders are watching how the dispute continues amid mounting patient dissatisfaction with generic drugs.The bickering began in December 2021 when globa
About 8,000 doctors prescribed medical narcotics to themselves annually for the past three years, prompting calls for banning doctors from self-prescribing narcotic drugs by law.These and other facts were revealed at a public debate organized by Rep. Choi Youn-suk of the ruling People Power Party (P
As the number of shingles vaccinations among older adults has steadily increased, the government must work out measures, including free vaccinations for the elderly and vulnerable people, a lawmaker said Monday.Rep. In Jae-geun of the Democratic Party of Korea made these and other points based on an
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said it will commence the first phase of the national immunization program (NIP) for influenza from Wednesday.During the first phase, the KDCA plans to target children under 13, including infants.According to the KDCA, it will vaccinate children
The number of people treated for depression and anxiety disorders among workers in childcare and educational facilities has nearly doubled in the past five years.Rep. Shin Hyun-young of the Democratic Party of Korea analyzed the National Health Insurance Service's data titled "Current Status of Depr
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) said it is pushing for a swift introduction and distribution of a new vaccine developed specifically to counter the XBB 1.5, an Omicron sub-variant, for the 2023-24 winter season.Responding to a request from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency
In the recent pilot program for telemedicine, over 57.2 percent of the prescribed medications were non-reimbursed drugs, a survey showed.The survey, conducted by the Korean Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) during the telemedicine pilot program run between June and August, was on 1,142 member pharmac
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has rolled up its sleeves to support the development of homegrown anticancer drugs by, for instance, providing customized counseling and clinical trial design support.Kim Young-rim, head of the Drug Review Division at the National Institute of Food and Dru
The Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy said on Monday that the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) division’s new proposal (NP) for the brain-computer interface (BCI) data format was approved at the BCI International Standardization Organization (ISO/IECJTC1SC43) plenary meeting hel
A report has unveiled that over the past three years (2020-2023), one out of 10 doctors in Korea self-prescribed narcotic drugs. Remarkably, one in every four of these professionals has consistently self-prescribed narcotic drugs annually during that period. According to a Ministry of Food and Drug
A survey shows that an information gap on Covid-19 vaccines is emerging between infectious disease specialists and general practitioners who directly administer vaccines to patients.The Korean Association of Medical Journalists (KAM) released the "Public and Expert Perception Survey on Covid-19 Vacc
A bill that defines digital healthcare and deals with information subjects and its utilization methods is drawing the industry’s attention.Rep. Shin Hyun-young of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) recently proposed the “Act on the use of digital healthcare and health and medical data.”T
The Korean health authorities reported the first confirmed case of a Korean patient infected with the BA.2.86 variant of Covid-19, also known as "Pirola," believed to possess a high degree of immune evasion.The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) said Wednesday that it detected the Pirola va
The Korean Medical Association (KMA) and the Korean Hospital Association (KHA) have petitioned the Constitutional Court to review and temporarily halt the enforcement of the revised medical law, which mandates the installation of closed-circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in operating rooms from Sept. 25.The
A report by the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) urged the Korean government to revise the tariff system for vaccine raw materials to support the Korean vaccine industry. KHIDI is a government-funded organization promoting the growth of the Korean health industry.According to the