Korea's new Covid-19 cases stayed below 1,900 for the second consecutive days on Friday, but the increase of untraceable infections hampered quarantine efforts.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency confirmed 1,841 new virus cases, including 1,811 local infections, raising the total caseloa
The number of workers in the healthcare industry, including medical staff and employees at pharmaceutical companies, rose in the second quarter from a year ago, a state agency said. In addition, workers at medical equipment makers showed a record-high increase while the cosmetics sector saw a drop i
Nearly eight out of 10 Korean doctors showed a negative stance on institutionalizing telephone medical consultation and prescription temporarily allowed during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Korea Medical Association (KMA) said in a recent report.According to a KMA survey, out of the 6,342 doctors who p
As the fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic prolongs, calls are mounting for “overcoming the limitation of K-quarantine.” In a joint emergency statement, the Korean Society for Preventive Medicine (KSPM) and the Korean Society of Epidemiology (KSEPI) said the country should prepare for “sustainable
As some countries start or consider providing booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccines, local experts said Korea might also need booster shots for high-risk groups if the immune response fades earlier than expected.The suggestion came during a briefing on vaccinations for 18-49-year-olds held by the C
Three biopharmaceutical companies developing Covid-19 vaccines or treatments received 70 percent of the government subsidies totaling more than 50 billion won ($42.2 million) in the first half of this year, according to their semiannual reports.SK Bioscience received 16.5 billion won from the govern
The government said it would ease the immune tolerance induction (ITI) treatment criteria for hemophilia A drug Hemlibra Subcutaneous Injection (ingredient: emicizumab).In January, the government expanded the reimbursement scope but added failure of ITI treatment as the criteria for reimbursement, w
The government confirmed Thursday that the Moderna vaccine supplied in Korea does not fall under the same lot numbers of contaminated vaccines as those found in Japan.Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said recently it has received many reports that some of Moderna’s vaccine doses contain
“Risk-sharing agreement, selective reimbursement, and funding for anticancer drugs do not guarantee quick access to new drugs for patients. So, the regulator should grant innovative medicines directly affecting patients’ lives the regulatory approval and a temporary drug price at the same time so th
The Korean government is still waiting for a reply from Moderna regarding the company's vaccine supply to the country in September. According to quarantine authorities, Moderna had not yet notified them of when to supply its vaccine next month.Officials expressed concerns about Moderna reducing or f
The government is scrambling to secure more hospital beds due to a surge in severe Covid-19 patients.The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported 420 severe Covid-19 patients on Tuesday, increasing 21 from the previous day. It marked the highest number of patients in critica
The government's policy on the biopharmaceutical industry will play a pivotal role in occupying the global bio market amid its rapid growth fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic, a state-funded institute said.The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) published a report on the “next normal” o
The global regenerative medicine industry is growing rapidly, and the Asia-Pacific region is a major center of growth for the sector driven primarily by the recently added new Korean and Taiwanese clinical trials, a report said.There are 1,320 industry-sponsored regenerative medicine and advanced th
Korea's health authorities changed their previous stance and said they might consider drawing up the "With Corona" plan in late September or October. The "With Corona" plan refers to the shift of the quarantine system to severe patients while letting most others live a normal life.Appearing at the N
A revised bill of the Medical Service Act mandating surveillance cameras in hospital operating rooms has passed the review of the legislative subcommittee of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee.The bill calls for installing CCTV cameras inside the operating room and shooting surgery
The National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation (NIFDS) said it would hold a conference on regulatory trends, vaccine development, and innovative drugs concerning Covid-19, along with the Drug Information Association from Sept. 2-3.Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The government said it expects the share of Koreans who received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine will exceed 50 percent on Saturday, 176 days after it launched the inoculation program on Feb. 26."The proportion of people receiving the first dose is likely to exceed 50 percent of the populatio
The Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) said Thursday that it has set up a branch office at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) in Boston, Mass.KHIDI USA Office will operate the support center to cooperate with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, hosting online briefings for dom
The imbalance between the supply and demand of the Covid-19 vaccine was the most important factor that led to the fourth viral wave of the novel coronavirus in Korea, a survey said Friday quoting doctors.InterMD, an online site for sharing information among medical doctors, released the results of i
Korea will likely extend – yet again -- the most rigid virus restrictions of the Level 4 social distancing scheme in the greater Seoul area as daily cases resurged to more than 2,100 cases on Thursday.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) confirmed 2,152 new virus cases, including 2