Oxyracetam drugs, brain function improvement treatments that failed to prove their efficacy in clinical re-evaluation, were exited from the market eventually.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety began to withdraw and discard oxiracetam treatments supplied by domestic drugmakers, saying these drugs have failed to prove their usefulness due to its reassessment of oxiracetam drugs.

To be affected by the latest decision are six products of four companies – Neuracetam Tablet of Samjin Pharm, Neuromed Syrup, Neuromed Tablet, and Neuromed Tablet 400mg of Korean Drug Co. (KDC), Neuropia Tablet of Gwangdong Pharm, and New Oxytam Tablet of Hwanin Pharm, according to the ministry.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare also discontinued insurance benefits for these drugs later in the day. Seven products, the six already mentioned and a different dose of KDC, were its targets.

From Tuesday, we suspend the provision of health insurance coverage for seven products, including New Oxytam Tablet, as the food and drug safety ministry ordered the makers to suspend sales and withdraw or scrap oxiracetam drugs that failed to prove their usefulness in clinical reassessment,” the health and welfare ministry said.

Last month, the food and drug safety ministry said it would revoke the oxiracetam drugs’ indication for “improving vascular cognitive impairment (cognitive dysfunction caused by brain damage caused by cerebrovascular disease), as they failed to prove effectiveness.

It also recommended that medical professionals and pharmacists stop prescribing and preparing oxiracetam and use alternative drugs. Oxyracetam drugs are acetylcholine (ACh) delivery promoters prescribed to patients with cognitive impairments, such as dementia.