Korea’s new virus cases rose steeply to break the 90,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday, triggering heated debate over the government’s decision to ease social distancing curbs later this week.The country reported 90,443 new Covid-19 infections, including 90,281 local cases, raising the total
Pfizer, which dominated the global pneumococcal vaccine market with 13-valent Prevnar 13, said it won approval for a 20-valent vaccine in Europe.On Tuesday, the European Medicines Agency authorized the use of Apexxnar (brand name in the U.S.: Prevnar 20) for immunization and prevention of invasive d
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety authorized two more Covid-19 self-test kits, bringing the total number of home test kits to eight in Korea.On Tuesday, the MFDS said it granted the permit to Median Diagnostics’ MDx COVID-19 Ag Home Test and Osang Healthcare’s GeneFinder COVID-19 Ag Self Test.The
Janssen’s Rybrevant (ingredient: amivantamab) obtained marketing approval for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 insertion mutations in Korea.On Tuesday, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approved Rybrevant to treat pati
The Omicron wave will likely reach a tipping point in the first week of March, when the number of daily infections could rise up to 250,000.Jung Jae-hun, a professor of preventive medicine at Gachon University College of Medicine, made the forecast appearing on a live broadcast on Tuesday. The live
Daewoong Pharmaceutical posted a record-high revenue in 2021 on the back of botulinum toxin export to the U.S. and a licensing-out deal over the nation’s 34th drug Fexuclue Tab. (fexuprazan hydrochloride), a treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). As a result, operating income jumped 4
The government has prepared to relax regulations on the prescription of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), allowing doctors other than psychiatrists to prescribe the drug multiple times as long as a one-time prescription does not exceed 60 days.Welcoming the move, neurologists urged th
The government plans to ease social distancing rules but maintain the vaccine mandate, for the time being, officials said on Tuesday.Health authorities are now gathering opinions from experts in various walks of life to announce a revised quarantine system this Friday, a top quarantine official said
As the Omicron wave approaches its peak in Korea, a report has called for the government to gradually revise the quarantine system according to the characteristics of the new variant.Park Sang-yun, a legislative investigator at the National Assembly Research Service, made these and other points in h
Pfizer has changed the form of Ibrance (palbociclib), a CDK4/6 inhibitor, from capsules to tablets, making it easier for cancer patients to take the medication.The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Ibrance Tab. 75 mg, 100 mg, and 125 mg on Monday.Ibrance is used as the standard treatment, al
A court dismissed local drugmakers’ appeal to nullify the government’s push to negotiate the recollection of health insurance coverage for choline alfoscerate (CA).The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the Seoul Administrative Court ruled in favor of the ministry on Friday.The ruling was against 2
SK Bioscience said Monday it signed a deal with the Pan American Health Organization to supply chickenpox vaccine to the Latin American market. It is the first time the company won bidding from PAHO, an international health agency under the United Nations.The Korean vaccine maker said it received PH
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said it found a sole bidder to carry out the national research project to develop an inhaled Covid-19 treatment after opening the bid late last year.Industry watchers pay attention to whether this research will lead to a second homegrown Covid-19 treat
Amgen’s Lumakras (ingredient: sotorasib), the world’s first KRAS mutation inhibitor developed over 40 years, arrived in the Korean market.The treatment is indicated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, as it recently showed anticancer effects in pancreatic cancer, the marketing approval
Many epidemiological experts say that the quarantine authorities should focus on severely ill Covid-19 patients instead of the spread of the Omicron variants itself, citing the strain’s relatively lower mortality rate.However, according to some experts, there are some risks in this strategy.Appearin
The government began to provide the fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to 1.8 million people with weakened immunity systems on Monday.“From today, we will offer the fourth shot to people whose immune system has weakened due to underlying conditions or taking immunosuppressants, the Covid-19 Vaccina
As the Covid-19 prolongs, online classes and home treatments have also taken root in Korean society.However, an increasing number of Korean children and adolescents are finding it hard to adjust to the new environment, getting stressed with falling academic performances, and feeling disappointed wit
The nation is experiencing a shortage of acetaminophen-containing cold medicines amid the surge of the Omicron variant and increased at-home treatment.Local pharmaceutical companies have begun running an emergency production system to cope with the shortage of such drugs.On Monday last week, the gov
HK inno.N and AbClon said they would work together to develop and commercialize CAR-T therapy, and their collaboration will continue through a contract development manufacturing organization (CDMO) deal.On Monday, the two signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development of AT-101, a ty
Korean pharmaceutical companies recently obtained marketing approval for generic drugs of MSD’s Bridion (sugammadex), a muscle relaxation antagonist.As the original drug’s patent expires in April, local drugmakers are expected to engage in fierce competition to sell generic copies, observers said.Th