CMV treatment Livtencity lands in Big 5 hospitals in KOR

the cytomegalovirus treatment can be prescribed the Big 5 hopstials in Korea

Following Seoul National University Hospital’s approval, Livtencity is landing at tertiary general hospitals.

Passed DRC in 2022 and listing for reimbursement underway

Takeda Pharmaceuticals Korea’s Livtencity (maribavir) has recently passed the Drug Committee (DC) of the “Big 5” hospitals.

Livtencity, a cytomegalovirus (CMV) treatment, is nearing prescription at tertiary general hospitals.

 

According to industry sources, Takeda Pharmaceuticals Korea’s Livtencity (maribavir) has recently passed the Drug Committee (DC) of the “Big 5” hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital, Samsung Seoul Hospital, Seoul St.

 

Mary's Hospital, Seoul Asan Hospital, and Sinchon Severance Hospital.

 

Takeda Pharmaceuticals Korea submitted its reimbursement application for Livtencity in Q3 of 2022 and successfully cleared the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)'s Drug Reimbursement Committee in October of the same year.

 

Currently, negotiations for Livtencity’s drug pricing are ongoing, and its subsequent listing for reimbursement is anticipated to lead to immediate prescriptions.

 

CMV is a type of herpesvirus that 60% of adult populations globally are infected with at least once in a lifetime.

 

CMV is one of the common diseases that occur in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) patients during the time of immunosuppression.

 

The development of CMV remain critical complications, with 30%-70% of HSCT recipients experiencing CMV viral infections.

 

In HSCT recipients, CMV infections can result in multi-organ dysfunctions, such as pneumonia, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, retinitis, and encephalitis.

 

Among these, the mortality of patients with pneumonia is approximately 60%.

 

CMV development in immunocompromised patients can be fatal.

 

Therefore, the patients typically received first-line treatments and were prescribed medications such as ganciclovir, valganciclovir, foscarnet, and cidofovir.

 

In most cases, hospitalization was necessary.

 

Additionally, the mechanism of action of these treatments is similar, so when patients develop tolerance to one treatment, it is highly likely that they may not respond well to other treatments.

 

Livtencity may offer patients hope for second-line treatment options.

 

Compared to existing treatments, Livtencity has fewer side-effects and can serve as an alternative treatment option when patients develop tolerance to existing treatments.

 

The antiviral activity of Livtencity, through its novel multimodal mechanism of action, works by inhibiting HCMV-specific UL97 Protein Kinase, thereby inhibiting CMV replication and transport.

 

Its effect is not limited to inhibiting DNA from exiting the cell; it also inhibits DNA replication and viral encapsulation.

 

Livtencity received approval from the U.S.

 

FDA in November 2021 as the first treatment for patients with CMV infection and subsequently received approval in Korea in December 2023.