Flu activity rises...revives Tamiflu market

records KRW 10 billion in quarterly sales

Tamiflu KRW 6 billion·Hanmiflu 1.7 billion...highest among 4 years

First epidemic after the spread of COVID-19...shows product shortages

The influenza treatment market, which had virtually disappeared after the spread of COVID-19, has revived for the first time in 3 years.

 

With the number of flu patients surging due to the flu epidemic, the number of quarterly prescriptions soared from less than KRW 100 million to KRW 10 billion.

 

According to the market research institution UBIST on the 26th, outpatient prescriptions of oseltamivir in A4 last year had recorded KRW 10 billion.

 

Oseltamivir is the most commonly used substance to treat influenza, and the original product is Roche's 'Tamiflu'.

 

This is the first time since Q4 2018 that quarterly prescriptions of the substance recorded KRW 10 billion.

 

By product, Roche Korea’s ‘Tamiflu’ occupied over half of the market, recording KRW 6 billion in sales.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s ‘Hanmiflu’ followed, raising KRW 1.7 billion in sales.

 

The flu treatment market had been dissolved after the spread of COVID-19 in 2020.

 

With the breakout of the pandemic, personal hygiene management such as social distancing, the mandatory wearing of masks, and hand washing have been strengthened, resulting in a significant decrease in the incidence of infectious diseases, including the flu.

 

The market, which raised prescriptions of KRW 7.8 billion in Q4 2019 and KRW 8.7 billion in Q1 2020, plunged 99.7% YoY to KRW 27 million in Q4 of 2020 after Corona 19 became prevalent.

 

Since then, the market recorded less than KRW 100 million won in quarterly prescriptions for 9 consecutive quarters and then showed signs of a rebound in Q3 last year.

 

The first flu epidemic warning in 12 years since 2010 was issued in Q3 last year.

 

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency issued a flu epidemic warning earlier than in previous years with the fraction of flu-like patients (patients with suspected flu symptoms) meeting the epidemic standards of 5.1 per 1,000 people from September 4 to 10 last year.

 

Data: KDCA Weekly Report on Infectious Disease Sample Surveillance

The number of flu patients really started to surge rapidly in the winter.

 

The fraction of suspected patients, which was 13.2 in the 46th week of last year (November 6-12), increased by 130% to 30.3 a month later.

 

In the 53rd week, the last week of last year, the fraction peaked to 60.7.

 

This was a higher rate than that in the 2019-2020 season.

 

Due to the surge in the number of patients and the limited quantity of treatments, a treatment shortage issue had also risen last year.

 

In addition to the original oseltamivir, many generic versions have been approved for manufacture, but their manufacture was limited.

 

Even before COVID-19, the majority of drugs other than Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s ‘Hanmiflu’, Yuhan Corp’s ‘Yuhan N Flu’, Kolon Pharmaceutical’s ‘Comyflu,’ and Vivozon Pharm’s ‘Seltaflu Flu,’ etc sold less than KRW 100 million per quarter.

 

Also, many products withdrew their licenses in the aftermath of COVID-19.

 

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, licenses of ▲Dong-A ST’s ‘Newraflu,’ ▲Ahngook New Pharm’s ‘New Flu,’ ▲Dongkoo Bio Pharm’s ‘Dongkoo Oseltamivir,’ ▲Samsung Pharm’s ‘Samsung Oselta,’ ▲Dae Han New Pharm’s ‘Enphiflu Cap,’ ▲Seoul Pharma’s ‘ OD Flu,’ ▲Yuyu Pharm’s ‘Yuyu Tami,’ ▲Inist ST’s ‘Inist ST Oseltamivir,’ ▲CTC Bio’s ‘Easy Flu Cap,’ ▲Genu Pharma’s ‘Genupharma Tamiro,’ ▲Kolon Pharmaceutical’s ‘Comiflu Suspension Powder,’ ▲GC Corp’s ‘Taminewra,’ ▲Hawon Pharm’s ‘Tami-One,’ ▲Roche Korea’s ‘Tamiflu Suspension Powder,’ ▲Aprogen Biologics ‘Tamflu,’ ▲Kwang-dong Pharm’s ‘Phenflu,’ ▲HK Inno,N’s ‘Flucle Cap,’ ▲Han Lim Pharm’s ‘Hanlim Oseltamivir,’ ▲ Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s ‘Hanmi Flu-S’ had automatically expired or voluntarily withdrawn during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

With many of the approved drugs not in circulation in the market, a shortage of flu treatments had risen last month.

 

To address the shortage, the KDCA supplied 780,000 courses of flu treatments from the government stockpile to the market on the 9th.

 

With the flu epidemic subsiding this year, the number of prescriptions is also expected to decrease slightly.

 

According to KDCA, the fraction of suspected patients in the second week of January (8th to 14th) was 40.2, a 12.3 (23.4%) person decrease from 52.5 in the previous week.