Viatris Korea moves beyond off-patent drugs under Schuster’s leadership, eyes new drug launches

Bill Schuster, Country Manager of Viatris Korea, says the company is no longer just an off-patent drug powerhouse. While off-patent drugs remain the “backbone” of its portfolio, Viatris is actively evolving into a company focused on innovative medicines, with new drug launches and an expanded clinical infrastructure in Korea.

In a group interview with healthcare reporters, Schuster reflected on his two years in Korea, Viatris’ commercial transformation, and its readiness to introduce late-stage global pipeline assets to the Korean market.

“I came to Korea with a deep appreciation for its healthcare system and cultural nuances, which in many ways reminded me of my native Ireland,” Schuster said. “But my mission here has been clear -- build a resilient, future-facing organization with Korean patients at the center.”

Organizational overhaul and resilient culture

In his first year, Schuster focused on cultural transformation.

He launched a bottom-up task force led by junior and mid-level managers to define Viatris Korea’s values and operational principles.

This initiative, Schuster said, has since become embedded in the company’s DNA.

The second year brought external headwinds, including political uncertainty, market access constraints, and ongoing disruptions in Korea’s hospital operations due to massive resignations of trainee physicians. 

Schuster’s response was to reshape Viatris Korea’s go-to-market (GTM) model. The company streamlined roles between itself and its commercial partners -- retaining direct oversight of the hospital channel while outsourcing the clinic channel to local partners like Jeil Pharmaceutical and SK chemicals.

A key part of this transformation included building a robust key account management (KAM) system focused on tertiary hospitals, while also developing a separate sales account management (SAM) structure to explore opportunities in secondary and smaller institutions.

“These are not cosmetic changes,” Schuster emphasized. “They’re designed to prepare Viatris Korea for what’s next -- including new pipeline introductions.”

From off-patent drug stronghold to innovation-ready

Viatris was created in 2020 from the merger of Mylan, a global off-patent drug leader, and Upjohn, the legacy off-patent division of Pfizer. While its Korean business still centers on high-profile legacy brands -- Lipitor (dyslipidemia), Norvasc (hypertension), Lyrica (neuropathic pain), Celebrex (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory for pain and inflammation), and Neurontin (gabapentin-based therapy for epilepsy and nerve pain) -- Schuster says the company’s trajectory is shifting.

Globally, Viatris is advancing several late-stage assets, and the Korean unit is to make sure it is ready when they come, he said.

One example of this evolution is the company’s investigational non-opioid analgesic, MR-107A-02, a rapid-acting meloxicam formulation that recently showed statistically and clinically significant results in two global phase 3 studies.

Viatris plans to submit a new drug application to the U.S. FDA by the end of 2025.

Similarly, Xulane, a low-dose contraceptive patch for women of reproductive age, has met all primary and secondary endpoints in phase 3 trials, with FDA submission planned for the second half of 2025.

In Japan, Viatris has submitted an application for Effexor XR capsules as a treatment for generalized anxiety disorder, addressing a significant unmet medical need in a market with no approved GAD treatments.

Commercial resilience amid policy volatility

Despite a difficult policy environment, Viatris Korea retained leading market positions in chronic disease areas.

Lipitor remains Korea’s top monotherapy for dyslipidemia, while Lipitor Plus ranks second among combination therapies. Norvasc continues to lead the calcium channel blocker segment, and Lyrica maintains its position as the top neuropathic pain treatment.

However, the Korean market also presents challenges. Recent price pressures, including the international reference pricing (IRP) reforms, have complicated long-term planning.

“We’ve urged government stakeholders, through industry associations, to ensure predictability and transparency,” he said. “Sudden price cuts without adequate notice undermine not just business operations, but also innovation investment.”

When asked about some multinational companies, including Viatris, having reduced their footprint in Korea, Schuster said Viatris has invested in its brand business.

Viatris Korea had earlier implemented a voluntary early retirement program (ERP) targeting its commercial division in February.

“Yes, we right-sized the organization, especially in the clinic channel, but that wasn’t a retreat,” he said. “It was a realignment to focus on where we can make the biggest impact.”

Korea's strategic relevance to Viatris HQ

Although Korea accounts for under 3 percent of Viatris’ global sales, it is the 13th largest market for Viatris in terms of revenue and plays a strategic role in global clinical development. and plays a strategic role in global clinical development.

According to Schuster, Korea is a testing ground for pipeline entry feasibility, particularly for phase 3 trials.

“We see Korea not only as a commercial market but as a clinical and technological partner,” Schuster noted.

For 2025, Schuster outlined three priorities -- stabilize the new GTM structure, expand the base business amid Korea’s rapid aging trend, and lay the groundwork for new drug launches. Long-term, Viatris Korea aims to align with the headquarters’ three pillars: portfolio growth, operational efficiency, and pipeline execution readiness.

“Our end goal is clear,” Schuster said. “We want to ensure that Korean patients can access high-quality medicines at every stage of life. And to do that, our leadership and organization must keep evolving.”