MSD Korea to replace its leader for the first time in 2 yrs

Term expires on the 31st of this month

Keytruda's first expansion of lung cancer benefits for two years and the results of signing the first collective agreement

MSD Korea vacancies presidency for the time being

Kevin Peters, president of MSD Korea

The head of MSD Korea will be replaced for the first time in about two years.

 

Kevin Peters, the current president, will leave Korea at the end of this month.

 

According to the pharmaceutical industry on the 28th, Kevin Peters, CEO of MSD Korea, will be appointed as the general representative of the German branch from February.

 

It has been two years and three months since he became the representative of MSD Korea.

 

He recently reportedly had a farewell ceremony with Korean MSD employees.

 

Kevin Peters has led MSD Korea since November 2020, succeeding former president Avi BenShoshan.

 

It is evaluated that he actively communicated with employees even in a situation where he was converted to telecommuting due to COVID-19.

 

After Kevin Peters took office as president, MSD Korea signed its first collective agreement since the establishment of the labor union.

 

This is considered to be a result of mutual cooperation between labor and management ahead of the corporate division of Organon Korea.

 

At the time of the replacement of the president, MSD Korea was at odds with the union in the process of spin-on.

 

Immediately after taking office, Kevin Peters traveled around the country to communicate directly with employees and actively accepted employees' opinions to lead labor-management cooperation.

 

He also succeeded in expanding the primary benefit for Keytruda lung cancer, which had not crossed the threshold for four years.

 

Keytruda had a very good effect in terminal non-small cell lung cancer without major mutations, but discussions on salary have not progressed for four years due to a large number of patients and expensive new drugs.

 

President Kevin Peters drew the primary benefit for lung cancer in Kitruda with an unconventional proposal of a 'trade-off'.

 

Instead of expanding Keytruda's benefit, the plan calls for lowering drug prices for 15 items, including the "Januvia," a diabetes treatment with large domestic sales.

 

At the time, Kevin Peters, president of the company, said in an interview with Dailypharm, "We presented an unprecedented level of sharing to the Cancer Disease Deliberation Committee of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service." Since then, the benefit has expanded in March last year as discussions on Keytruda's benefit have accelerated.

 

It also contributed to the rapid approval and supply of Lagevrio, a COVID-19 treatment developed by MSD.

 

Peters also appealed, "Lagevrio can be supplied from the day of approval." Kevin Peters was scheduled to continue his term as president of MSD Korea this year, but the sudden resignation of the German branch representative led to Peters serving as the German general representative.

 

The successor to MSD Korea has not been decided.

 

For the time being, David Peacock, president of MSD Asia-Pacific, is expected to temporarily work on MSD in Korea.

 

Kevin Peters joined MSD in the UK in 1996 and performed various tasks at the relevant national/regional and global levels in the Asia-Pacific, China, and Europe.

 

He served as vice president of MSD in China, chief marketing officer (CMO), and CEO of MSD in Thailand.