Shire Korea, the local branch of the global biotech pharmaceutical Shire, said Thursday that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Adynovate, its long-lasting factor VIII gene recombinant hemophilia A treatment.“Shire Korea is a global biotechnology pharmaceutical company that has been leading the development of rare blood disease drugs, and will continue to strive to expand treatment
Janssen Korea said that the Ministry of Health and Welfare granted coverage for Sylvant (siltuximab), a treatment for multicentric Castleman disease (MCD), starting Thursday."We are pleased to provide a new treatment option for patients with MCD, and Janssen Korea remains committed to improving the quality of life and extending survival for patients suffering from rare diseases,” said Yoo Jae-
“One of the senior managers at my company invested 100 million won ($93,545) into Bitcoin and quit his job after making 20 billion won from it,” says an employee at an investment firm requesting anonymity. “I didn’t get to see him in person, but he’s a legend here.”The 28-year-old, known by just his surname of Kim, is only one of many who witnessed or heard about people attaining instant riche
Korea Investment and Securities said Tuesday that foreign investors are interested in globally competitive Korean pharmaceutical companies such as Celltrion and Daewoong for their potential abroad.The brokerage house published compiled observations from its meeting with 27 institutional investors in six major cities across North America for more than a week starting from Jan. 17.In general
Large Korean hospitals are taking an active approach to creating and implementing artificial medical intelligence (AI) technology in medical institutions, rather than merely installing AI technology such as IBM Watson.Samsung Medical Center said Tuesday it would work with healthcare startup Lunit to create a supporting AI-based diagnostic system. The two sides signed a memorandum of understand
A Korean lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party is working towards enacting a law to support pharmaceutical companies that are using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop new drugs.Rep. Oh Jae-sae from the ruling Democratic Party on Tuesday motioned a bill amendment to set up distinct investment criteria for providing R&D support to pharmaceutical firms that are using AI to discover new d
Researchers from Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) said Monday they have become the first to discover that abnormal mitochondria are associated with a rare, progressive cerebrovascular disease called Moyamoya disease.Moyamoya disease occurs from a blockage of arteries in the base of a brain area called the basal ganglia. The word “Moyamoya,” which translates into “puff of smoke” in
GC Lab Cell, a cell therapy developer, said Friday that it recorded 45.8 billion won ($43 million) in sales last year, an 8 percent increase from 2016. The company expects the sales growth will continue this year thanks to bio-logistics demand, it added.“Sales are expected to continue to expand this year as the high growth of biopharmaceutical market and strengthened regulations on pharmaceuti
Six out of 10 people sought improvements in the Korean healthcare system, including improved access to clinics and increased support for health insurance and medical expenses, a government survey showed Friday.When it came to paying for the changes, though, responses split 60-40, with most willing or okay with paying higher insurance premiums for a better healthcare system. Of the 60 percent w
The fire at Sejong Hospital in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, which killed 37 people on Friday morning caused more deaths because most of the patients at the hospital were elderly, sources said.According to sources from the medical community, the Hyoseong Medical Foundation acquired nursing business-centered Sejong Hospital in 2008 and separated it into two units – a general hospital and
Thirty-seven people were killed and more than 40 injured in a hospital fire in Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, early Friday, firefighters said.The death toll could rise because some of the rescued patients are in critical conditions. The blaze started at about 7:30 a.m. in the emergency room of Sejong Hospital in the city, some 330 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to
Technologies used to detect doping are once again in the limelight as the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which prohibits around 400 such drugs, is just two weeks away.According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), about 50 out of all the listed doping drugs banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency are biopharmaceutical products. The majority of them are peptide hormones such as
The 2018 Winter Olympics will kick off in PyeongChang, South Korea, on Feb. 9 to host more than 2,000 athletes and hundreds of thousands of fans, visitors, and participants from around the world for the international sporting event.Health authorities are now ramping up efforts to ensure the successful hosting of the international event by safeguarding against the possibility of infectious and
Korean researchers have developed a new biosensor technology that can quickly diagnose various health conditions with only a drop of body fluid, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) said Thursday.For most patients, blood tests require considerable physical effort and time investment. Existing diagnostic tests need a medical specialist to draw a significant amount of patient’s b
Novo Nordisk Korea said Wednesday that its obesity therapy Saxenda (liraglutide) took a giant slice of the global obesity market by accounting for 40 percent of total obesity therapy sales in 13 countries during two months.Saxenda is the world’s first glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) analog obesity treatment that increases the feeling of fullness to help control appetite and to reduce hunger an
The police Tuesday raided the homes of eight medical workers suspected of being involved in the recent deaths of four infants at Ewha hospital, including the head of its neonatal intensive care unit.A special investigative team from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency searched and seized the homes of faculty members of Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to sec
Patient Blood Management (PBM) is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based approach to optimizing care for those who might need a blood transfusion. Australia is one country that successfully implemented the approach at a national level.According to PBM specialist Axel Hofmann, the blood management system, which aims to minimize blood transfusions, holds evidence that fewer transfusions improve
The Ministry of Health and Welfare Tuesday announced interim measures for safety maintenance at neonatal intensive care units (NICU), in response to deaths of four infants that occurred at Ewha Womans University Medical Center (EUMC). ■ Related : Infant deaths at Ewha hospital re-illuminate poor infection control“The death of newborns at EUMC has become another reminder of the i
The Korean government said Tuesday it would pursue aggressive measures to lower the number of suicides in the next five years and shed its infamous reputation for ranking first among OECD countries regarding suicide incidence.“This plan recognizes that suicide is not an individual problem but a social one that can be resolved at the national level,” Minister of Health and Welfare Park Neung-ho
A Korean research team has found a new way to predict the progression of Parkinson’s disease in patients with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, a local hospital said Tuesday.Although Parkinson’s was discovered over 200 years ago, the cause of the disease remains unknown. However, a recent study is now suggesting that RBD, characterized by talking