Citus generics price raised, Ameliebou Inj huge price cut

Voluntary price cut for Demenduo Tab, combination therapy for dementia…the third product with the same active ingredient

Prices of Citus generic drugs will be raised.

 

As the price of original Citus has been adjusted, the prices of generic drugs that were reimbursement-listed in January have been recalculated.

 

Meanwhile, the price of Samsung Bioepis' Lucentis biosimilar 'Ameliebou Inj' has been substantially cut, resulting in a significant difference from the original.

 

According to industry sources on May 19, the prices of some items, including Citus generics, will be adjusted on the 1st of next month.

 

Four Citus (Pranlukast Hydrate) generic products will see price increases following applications to adjust their upper-limit price.

 

The price of Dasan Pharmaceutical's 'Prituss Tab 50 mg,' which met all the criteria, will rise from KRW 344 to KRW 526.

 

In comparison, Daewoong Bio's 'Cituone Tab 50 mg,' Green Cross' 'Neopran 50 mg,' and DongKook Pharmaceutical's 'Pranpid 50 mg,' each meeting only one criterion, will increase from KRW 263 to KRW 447.

 

Prices of Citus generics have been increased: 1.

 

At the the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)'s Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee (DREC) meeting held on April 3, the committee accepted the manufacturers' objection to HIRA's mandatory price reduction of Citus Tab 50 mg.

 

SAMA Pham argued that its Citus development reference product was not the one identified by HIRA and that the ceiling price of Citus had already been adjusted to 53.55%.

 

The committee accepted this argument, and the mandatory cut was effectively canceled.

 

Because the generics listed in January were also assumed never to have had their ceiling price adjusted, their prices were calculated at 53.55% of the highest price for the same formulation.

 

However, when HIRA acknowledged its error in using the original's price-setting criteria and launched a recalculation procedure, the generic prices were adjusted as well.

 

In addition, after price-adjustment applications and negotiations with the National Health Insurance Service, the prices of two Custodiol Solution (Zenith Pharm) products will be raised.

 

The 1,000 mL formulation will rise from KRW 140,492 to KRW 161,981, and the 5 L formulation from KRW 703,347 to KRW 809,905.

 

Ceiling prices of six products will be loswered at the manufacturers' voluntary reduction request.

 

Among these, the dramatic cut for the Lucentis biosimilar 'Ameliebou Inj 10 mg' (Samsung Bioepis), is notable.

 

Ameliebou Inj was listed for reimbursement at KRW 463,773 in January 2023 but was cut to KRW 350,000 that March.

 

It has now been reduced further to KRW 150,000.

 

Since the original Lucentis 10 mg is priced at KRW 579,716, the price gap has widened even more.

 

However, with competitor Chong Kun Dang's LucenBS also set at KRW 150,000, competition between the two drugs is expected to be intense.

 

Ameliebou Inj is currently marketed domestically by Samil Pharmaceutical.

 

Voluntary price cut items (as of June 1): 1.

 

Yungjin Pharmaceutical's Demenduo Tab 10/20 mg (Donepezil Hydrochloride Monohydrate+Memantine Hydrochloride), combination therapy for dementia, will be cut from KRW 3,879 to KRW 3,650.

 

Of the eight reimbursement-listed combination therapies approved in March, three have already cut their prices, indicating fierce price competition.