Bristol Myers Squibb’s acute myeloid leukemia treatment Onureg (ingredient: azacitidine) and Novartis’ chronic myeloid leukemia treatment Scemblix (ingredient: asciminib) were both evaluated as appropriately priced to receive insurance benefits by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA), pending a final review.

HIRA released the results of the meeting of the pharmaceutical benefits evaluation committee on Thursday, evaluating the appropriateness of six medical treatments to receive health insurance based on prices set by the pharmaceutical companies.

The committee noted that the final evaluation results are subject to change if there are changes in the detailed benefit scope and reference items of the drug, changes in the approval of the item applied for decision, or withdrawal of the approval.

In particular, HIRA’s drug benefit panel passed the eligibility of BMS Korea’s Onureg 200mg-300mg tablets and Novartis' Scemblix 20mg-40mg tablets for health insurance. 

However, a few other drugs failed to meet the insurance benefit criteria. 

For example, Kyowa Kirin Korea’s Nephoxil (ingredient: ferric citrate hydrate) 500 mg capsules, a treatment for hyperphosphatemia patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis, were eligible for coverage if the price is lowered, HIRA said.

Similarly, Lilly Korea's Retevmo (ingredient: selpercatinib) 40mg-80mg capsules also did not pass the evaluation criteria this time but were evaluated to be reconsidered for reimbursement. 

The drug is a new anti-cancer drug indicated for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors with a rearranged during transfection (RET).

Other drugs including Novartis Korea’s Tabrecta (ingredient: capmatinib)150mg-200mg tablets, a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and Pfizer’s Vyndamax (ingredient: tafamidis) 61mg capsules for treating cardiac amyloidosis, were both listed as not eligible to receive insurance benefits.