The reimbursement plan for Gilead Science Korea’s Biktarvy, an acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) treatment, has been put on hold due to the high price of the drug.

Abbvie’s Duobis intestinal gel, a treatment for Parkinson's disease, also failed to receive reimbursement because of unclear cost-effectiveness.

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) decided so after holding a health insurance policy review committee, which considered the appropriateness and reevaluation of the application for the medical treatments.

The committee made a conditional non-reimbursement decision for Biktarvy, which is a single, fixed-dose AIDS treatment combining Bictegravir, Emtricitabine and Tenofovir alafenamide. The panel ruled that although the drug has clinical effectiveness, the price demanded by Gilead Science Korea is too high compared to its alternative medicine.

The committee, however, added that the drug could receive reimbursement if Gilead accepts a lesser amount considered appropriate for compensation.

The panel decided to maintain its non-reimbursement position for Duobis intestinal gel due to its cost-effectiveness.

In contrast to the two drugs, the committee approved reimbursement Radicut 30 mg, a Lou Gehrig's disease treatment developed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharmaceutical, and BL&H's Jext Prefilled Pen 150 and 300 μg, used for treating anaphylaxis emergency, after ruling that the price was reasonable to provide insurance benefits.

With the approval, Radicut and Jext Prefilled Pen have only to go through drug price negotiations with HIRA. After HIRA reports the results of the panel’s review to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the ministry orders it to carry out drug price negotiations for 60 days.

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