Sales of Keytruda rose 117%

1Q sales of 87.8 billion

Rapid increase after reimbursement for primary treatment

Leading position for 13 consecutive quarters since Q1 2020

Immuno-oncology drug Keytruda continued its high-altitude march in the domestic pharmaceutical market.

 

Last year, Health Insurance 2 sales more than doubled as the number of recipients of the leading water-based benefits expanded for 13 consecutive quarters since the first quarter of 2020.

 

Keytruda further strengthened its solo system by more than doubling the gap with second place.

 

According to IQVIA, a drug research agency on the 22nd, Keytruda took the lead with sales of 87.8 billion won in the first quarter.

 

Sales increased by 117.1% in one year from 40.4 billion won in the first quarter of last year.

 

Released in Korea in 2015, Keytruda is an immune checkpoint inhibitor that inhibits the PD-1 protein on the surface of T-cells of immune cells to prevent binding to the PD-L1 receptor and activates immune cells to treat cancer.

 

In Korea, 24 indications were approved for 16 cancer types, including melanoma, lung cancer, and head and neck cancer.

 

Currently, the cancers for which Keytruda can be used are ▲lung cancer ▲head and neck cancer ▲Hodgkin's lymphoma ▲urothelial cancer (bladder cancer) ▲esophageal cancer ▲melanoma ▲renal cell cancer (kidney cancer) ▲endometrial cancer ▲stomach cancer ▲small intestine cancer ▲ovarian cancer ▲ Pancreatic cancer, biliary tract cancer, colorectal cancer (colorectal cancer), triple-negative breast cancer, and cervical cancer reached 16 cases.

 

It can be used in the largest number of cancer types among immuno-anticancer drugs approved in Korea.

 

Keytruda showed high growth last year thanks to the favorable news of salary expansion.

 

In March of last year, the scope of health insurance coverage for Keytruda was expanded as the first treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

 

As Keytruda's first-line treatment benefit application effect began in earnest, the growth rate accelerated.

 

Sales increased by 33.4% from 40.4 billion won in the first quarter of last year to 53.9 billion won in the second quarter.

 

In the third and fourth quarters of last year, sales were 67.2 billion won and 78 billion won, respectively, raising more than 10 billion won in sales each quarter.

 

Considering Keytruda's drug price cut, the increase in prescriptions is analyzed to be even greater.

 

In March of last year, Keytruda's insurance cap was lowered by 25.6% as the benefits range expanded.

 

In the aftermath of drug price cuts, sales in the first quarter of last year decreased by 26.0% compared to the previous quarter.

 

However, despite the drug price cut, and the upward trends, Keytrua increased since the second quarter of last year.

 

It is calculated that the amount used has more than doubled in one year since the first treatment benefit was applied.

 

It has maintained its lead position for 13 consecutive quarters since taking first place overall in the first quarter of 2020.

 

The gap with 2nd place Lipitor widened more than twice, establishing a solid solo system.

 

New drug products recently introduced by multinational pharmaceutical companies continued to be strong at the top of pharmaceutical sales.

 

Amgen's Prolia recorded sales of 35.5 billion won in the first quarter, up 41.6% from the same period last year, ranking third overall.

 

Released in Korea in November 2016, Prolia is a biopharmaceutical osteoporosis treatment that targets RANKL, an essential protein for the formation, activation, and survival of osteoclasts that destroy the bone.

 

Since 2017, Prolia began to enjoy an upward trend in sales after benefits were applied only to secondary treatment.

 

From April 2019, sales of Prolia soared even more as insurance benefits were recognized for primary treatment.

 

Prolia surpassed 100 billion won in annual sales last year, six years after entering the country.

 

Prolia is jointly sold by Chong Kun Dang.

 

Ono Pharmaceutical's immuno-oncology drug Opdivo recorded sales of KRW 33.9 billion in the first quarter, up 35.4% from the previous year.

 

Opdivo, which was licensed in 2015, stayed in the 10 billion won range until the second quarter of 2021.

 

It exceeded 20 billion won in the third quarter of 2021 and exceeded 30 billion won in the fourth quarter of last year.

 

Opdivo recorded a high growth rate of 64.7% in two years from 66.7 billion won in 2020, and stepped on the 100 billion won mark in annual sales for the first time last year.

 

Sanofi's atopic dermatitis treatment Dupixent recorded sales of 30.9 billion won in the first quarter, up 29.4% from the previous year.

 

Dupixent is the first targeted biological agent developed for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis where topical treatments are not recommended or symptoms are not adequately controlled.

 

.Dupixent, which received domestic approval in March 2018, received coverage for severe atopic dermatitis from January 2020, and sales expanded rapidly.