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- 2025-12-27 00:25:43
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- New HIV drug Biktarvy sales of ₩20 billion in one year
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Aug 31, 2020 05:58am
- It is confirmed that Gilead Science's new HIV treatment, Biktarvy, made close to ₩20 billion in a year after it entered the market in earnest. According to the analysis, Gilead is maintaining the leadership in the HIV treatment market due to the rapid growth of Biktarvy. ◆Biktarvy, sales of ₩14.4 billion in the first half of this year, Cumulative ₩19.4 billion Biktarvy According to IQVIA, a drug market research institute on the 31st, the sales of Biktarvy in the first half of the year are estimated at ₩14.4 billion. Biktarvy is a combination HIV treatment which consists of Bictegravir, Emtricitabine, and Tenofovir alafenamide. After receiving approval from the MFDS in January of last year, it entered the market in earnest while receiving reimbursement in July of the same year. Yuhan is in charge of marketing in the domestic market. For the first half year from July to December, Biktarvy's sales amounted to ₩5 billion. Adding ₩14.4 billion in sales until the first half of this year is ₩19.4 billion. In less than a year of launch, it has produced close to ₩20 billion in sales. Quarterly sales of Biktarvy by Gilead Sciences and major HIV treatments (unit: ₩billion, data: IQVIA) Compared to existing treatments, the efficacy and safety are improved, and the rate of onset of resistance is low. Bictegravir is an active ingredient that is evaluated as a strong second-generation integrative enzyme inhibitor and has high resistance. Tenofovir alafenamide is also a second-generation Tenofovir, changing its base to significantly lower its toxic effects on kidneys and bones, the company explains. It can be taken with/without food, and the size of the pill is smaller than that of existing treatments. ◆Gilead maintains market leadership amid rapid growth in Biktarvy With Biktarvy's rapid growth, Gilead remains a leader in the HIV treatment market. In the domestic market, Gilead, GSK, MSD, Janssen, AbbVie, and BMS are competing for HIV treatment. Among them, Gilead and GSK are known to occupy about 90% of the market. In the case of Gilead, the total sales of five treatments (Genvoya, Descovy, Truvada, Stribild) including Biktarvy in the first half of this year were ₩27.7 billion, up 19% from ₩22.3 billion in the first half of last year. The sales of other treatments, excluding Biktarvy, declined, but Biktarvy offset this. It is explained that the prescriptions for Genvoya are being replaced by Biktarvy. GSK's Triumeq posted sales of ₩15.4 billion. It increased by 16% compared to ₩13.3 billion in the first half of last year. GSK's another HIV treatment Tivicay increased 14% from ₩2.2 billion to ₩2.5 billion over the same period, and Kivexa decreased 23% from ₩1.7 billion to ₩1.3 billion. GSK plans to pursue Gilead with a new HIV treatment, Dovato. After being approved in Korea in March this year, Dovato entered the market in earnest after being listed as a health insurance benefit in June. Dovato is a single tablet that is a mixture of two ingredients: Dolutegravir and Lamivudine. Semiannual sales of major HIV treatments (unit: ₩100 million, data:IQVIA) In addition, MSD's Isentress recorded sales of ₩2.8 billion in the first half of this year, Prezcobix by Janssen of ₩1.3 billion, AbbVie's Kaletra of ₩1.3 billion, and BMS' Evotaz of ₩500 million. In the case of AbbVie’s Kaletra, it was mentioned as one of the potential treatments at the beginning of the COVID-19 incident in the first half of this year.
- Company
- Sanofi Pasteur Korea welcomes new GM Pascal Robin
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Aug 31, 2020 05:57am
- General Manager Pascal Robin The newly appointed general manager at Sanofi Pasteur Korea, Pascal Robin has started his work in the office from Aug. 25. According to the company, General Manager Pascal Robin has been successfully serving various executive-level positions for over two decades in pharmaceutical industry distribution management, strategy, management and marketing. After joining Sanofi Pasteur in 2002, he has been diversifying his expertise in all vaccination market as he comprehensively covered all areas from production to sales in domestic and global markets, and in emerging and advanced countries. Prior to his appointment in Sanofi Pasteur Korea, Robin led the vaccine sector of the company in Romania and Moldva and also took the job as a general manager at Sanofi Romania managing three areas regarding OTC, specialty care and consumer healthcare. General Manager Pascal Robin stated, “I am exhilarated to take over the general manager position in Korea, where the company has been contributing immensely to protect people in South Korea from the risk of various infectious diseases prevalent in the country by providing diverse vaccine portfolio covering infants to elderly for over 30 years.” He added, “Besides a number of new vaccine portfolio against infectious disease, the company is in process of seeking two investigational vaccines to tackle COVID-19, capable of mass-production. Amid exceptional pandemic we are currently experiencing, the company would do its best to fulfill the responsibility and role of a global vaccine company leading the vaccine market.”
- Company
- Kadcyla passed deliberation for cancer maintenance therapy
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Aug 31, 2020 05:57am
- According to related industries, the Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) Kadcyla (Trastuzumab emtansine) passed the cancer disease review committee of the HIRA (26th). The exact criteria for applying for an increase in benefits is 'post-operative adjuvant therapy for HER2-positive early breast cancer patients with invasive residual lesions after receiving preoperative adjuvant therapy based on Taxane and Herceptin (Trastuzumab). Kadcyla, which was registered as a refund type of the Risk Sharing Agreement (RSA) in August 2017, is now available to prescribe benefits for HER2-positive, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer patients who have failed treatment with Herceptin and Taxane-based anticancer drugs. Roche aimed to increase benefits shortly after obtaining indications for early breast cancer in August last year, but failed. After passing through the cancer disease review committee, Kadcyla is approaching the expansion of the coverage of early breast cancer maintenance therapy in about a year of expanding indications. Meanwhile, in the KATHERINE study, Kadcyla reduced the risk of recurrence by 50% compared to Herceptin monotherapy, the current standard treatment, in patients in the high-risk recurrence group who were found to have residual cancer despite preoperative chemotherapy and surgery. The fact that the increase in the benefits of breast cancer treatment drugs has been focused mainly on the 'metastatic breast cancer' category is also a point of interest in the review of the cancer disease review committee. Treatment for breast cancer has a different purpose depending on the stage. If prolonging survival is the goal of metastatic breast cancer in terms of treatment strategy, the treatment goal of early breast cancer is cure. Currently, Herceptin (Trastuzumab) is the only targeted treatment that has been applied as a benefit in adjuvant therapy after surgery for early breast cancer. Sohn Joo-hyuk, a professor of oncology at Severance Hospital, said, "The supply environment for breast cancer drugs is much improved than before. However, if the opinions of specialists are reflected in the gray area, it will help to build a better environment. There is a need to apply more flexible benefits to the use of drugs."
- Company
- Venclexta passed the cancer disease review committee
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Aug 31, 2020 05:57am
- Anti-cancer drug Venclexta is in a hurry to expand the coverage to second-line leukemia therapy According to related industries, AbbVie's Venclexta (Venetoclax) was held yesterday (on the 26th) as a second-line combination therapy for relapsed, refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) that received previous treatments including at least one chemotherapy. It passed the cancer disease review committee of the HIRA. Venclexta was approved by the MFDS in May 2019 as a monotherapy for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who are relapsed or refractory to chemoimmunotherapy and B-cell receptor pathway inhibitors. It was listed on the reimbursement list since last April. This drug started the registration process immediately after adding the indication for the combination therapy of Mabthera (Rituximab), which was proposed to the committee this time in March. It shows the presence of Venclexta in the CLL area. Venclexta's efficacy in second-line therapy was demonstrated in the Phase III study MURANO. As a result of the analysis of the primary evaluation index, the progression free survival (PFS) of the combined Venclexta and Mabthera group was significantly improved. The risk of disease progression or death was reduced by 83%, and the overall survival rate was higher than that of the standard treatment group, Bendamustine and Mabthera. In addition, in MURANO's Post-Treatment Follow-up Study, 130 patients in the Venclexta and Mabthera combination group who completed the treatment for two years without progression of the disease were progressed at 18 and 24 months after dosing. The estimated survival rates were 75.5% and 68.0%, respectively. Eom Ki Seong, director of the Chronic Leukemia Center at the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul ST. Mary’s Hospital said, "Chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a disease that is highly likely to refractory to first-line treatment or recur after treatment, so more effective and diverse treatment options are essential for these patients."
- Company
- Cancer Committee leaves Keytruda confused, now what?
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Aug 28, 2020 06:19am
- An immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) indicated as a first-line treatment on lung cancer is still lost in a thick fog with its attempt to expand healthcare coverage. And it has been three years already. Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service’s (HIRA) Cancer Deliberation Committee was gathered on Aug. 26 to deliberate granting healthcare reimbursement on breast cancer treatment Kadcyla, leukemia treatment Venclexta (venetoclax), and Keytruda. The conversations on Kadcyla and Venclexta were relatively simpler, and the committee eventually passed those products. On the contrary, the talk on Keytruda started off with a financial plan the Cancer Deliberation Subcommittee worked on for three meetings to provide the health insurance benefit while lessening the financial burden on National Health Insurance. But, still to the next day of meeting on Aug. 27, the pharmaceutical industry was conflicted over the committee’s unclear conclusion either ‘passing’ or ‘rejecting’ the reimbursement decision. Even the press coverage delivered completely contrasting news. ◆First question—was the financial plan not good enough? Then what actually went down with the committee? Still, there is no clear answer. But according to Daily Pharm’s investigation, the Cancer Deliberation Committee’s decision on Keytruda was close to ‘differing’ it, yet again. A member of the committee who was present at the meeting commented, “We were not satisfied with the revised financial plan brought to the table. Some even said it was worse than the initial version [MSD submitted to the government body in May, prior to the June Cancer Committee meeting]. The company should have put more effort on it.” This is the part, where some were convinced the committee has ‘rejected’ expanding the coverage on Keytruda. Nevertheless, from a commonsensical perspective, the assumption is unconvincing. The subcommittee that first deliberated the financial plan included members not only from the government or financial experts, but also from the Cancer Deliberation Committee. Actually, the pharmaceutical company itself was excluded from the conversation. In other words, the financial plan the subcommittee members, including the Cancer Committee representatives, worked on for three times was technically worsening the financial strain. And if the committee member at the meeting was present at the subcommittee meetings, it means the member was not convinced with the financial plan they worked on. It could be that the Cancer Committee member was skeptical with the way the subcommittee was amending the plan. And regardless of the subcommittee’s settlement, the Cancer Committee could have been largely unconvinced about the plan. In such case, then the decision should have been clear that it was ‘rejected.’ ◆Second question—sending the unsatisfying financial plan back to the company? But they say the conclusion was not a rejection. If it was then the talks on expanding Keytruda’s coverage should have ended, technically. But after the Cancer Committee meeting, HIRA informed that the financial plan would be sent back to MSD. An insider from HIRA said, “The meeting’s conclusion has not been clearly decided, yet. The discussion details would be compiled and sent to MSD as an offer.” In case of rejecting the decision, the government agency could have simply announced so. But HIRA’s action means the coverage could be expanded depending on MSD’s decision to accept the offered financial plan. The Cancer Committee and HIRA’s stories do not coincide. The government has yet to follow with a clear explanation. Putting all clues together, the following can be deducted; The expanded coverage on Keytruda has been heavily demanded by patient support groups. As no clear answer was provided for a long time, the patient group’s fury was directed towards both the government and the company. In such tight spot, the Cancer Committee and the government would have felt pressured to ‘reject’ the decision. Moreover, the last Cancer Committee’s deliberation on Keytruda was an exceptional case; to revise the financial plan, the committee convened the subcommittee and discussed specifically about financial issues without much of a concern on ‘clinical efficacy.’ Even if MSD accepts the revised plan, Keytruda would have to go through the Cancer Committee again, and not skip ahead to Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee (DREC). The latest decision could have meant the Cancer Committee was “skeptical about the subcommittee’s revision,” and yet they are “willing to discuss the plan again, after the pharmaceutical company accepts the offered plan.” In other words, the committee passed on the ticking bomb to MSD. As for the company, all eyes are now on the company while they are burdened to make a decision to accept the revised financial plan. A market access expert from a multinational pharmaceutical company pointed out, “Seeing the updates on Keytruda listing talks, it is unlike other anticancer treatment listing process with so many unprecedented happening. The entire procedure is veiled and far from being transparent. The government needs to put down a clearer guideline for the coverage expansion procedure.”
- Company
- Sky Zoster has the highest market share ever
- by An, Kyung-Jin Aug 28, 2020 06:17am
- SKY Zoster & Zostavax The shingles vaccine market successfully rebounded out of the affected area of COVID-19. Sky Zoster by SK Bioscience set a new record in market share by increasing market influence while sales of competitive products slowed. According to the drug market research agency IQVIA on the 28th, the size of the shingles prevention vaccine market in the first half of this year was estimated at ₩14.8 billion. This is a 11.4% decrease from ₩39.3 billion a year earlier. The domestic shingles vaccine market consists of the combined sales of MSD's Zostavax and Sky zoster by SK Bioscience. In the first quarter of last year, sales of two types of vaccine against shingles in Korea were ₩12.2 billion, a half year-on-year. This is the aftermath of the sharp drop in visits to medical institutions by patients due to the spread of COVID-19. However, in the second quarter, as the spread of COVID-19 in Korea decreased, sales recovered to ₩22.6 billion, and accumulated sales decline in the first half was reduced. It is an analysis that the sales exponentially caused by COVID-19 epidemic was large due to a preventive vaccine rather than a treatment used in an emergency situation. Zostavax and Sky Zoster quarterly sales trend (Unit: ₩100 million, Source: IQVIA) Zostavax and Sky Zoster rebounded in sales in the second quarter. However, as the quarterly sales of 'Sky Zoster' increased significantly compared to the competition, it recorded the highest market share since its release. In the first half of the year, the sales of Sky Zoster were ₩14.7 billion. In the second quarter, the cumulative sales in the first half declined only 2.1% from the previous year, with sales of ₩9.8 billion, up 32.7% year-on-year. As of the second quarter of this year, the market share was 43.2%, the highest level since its launch. The sales of Zostavax in the first half of this year fell 17.2% to ₩20.1 billion from ₩24.3 billion last year. Sales in the second quarter were ₩12.8 billion, an increase of 4.4% compared to the same period last year, failing to keep up with the growth of Sky Zoster. Market share of two shingles vaccines on the market in the first half of 2020 (Unit: %, Source: IQUVIA)
- Company
- Obesity drug market expands despite COVID-19 as Qsymia soars
- by An, Kyung-Jin Aug 28, 2020 06:17am
- Product image of Saxenda (left) and Qsymia The obesity treatment market in South Korea has marked a significant growth in the first half of the year. The treatment market expanded, although the consumers became reluctant to open their wallets amid COVID-19 pandemic. A newcomer Qsymia is now leading the market alongside with Saxenda, or so-called ‘Gangnam Diet Shot.’ On Aug. 26, a pharmaceutical market research firm IQVIA found Korea’s obesity treatment market in the second quarter jumped 13.2 percent from last year at 33.2 billion won to 37.6 billion won. The cumulative sales in the first half of the year grew 7.6 percent from last year at 65.4 billion won and generated 70.4 billion won. If the market continues to see the positive growth, it would be able to break through the 100 billion won mark for two consecutive years. Quarterly sales of obesity treatment market in South Korea (Unit: KRW 100 million) Source: IQVIA Novo Nordisk’s Saxenda and Alvogen Korea’s Qsymia were two stars of the market leveraging the growth. In the first half of the year alone, Saxenda made 18.3 billion won. Compared to last year at 19.8 billion won, the quarterly sales dropped by 7.4 percent, but the injection is still the top obesity treatment in the Korean market. Its market share in the first half of the year was at 26.0 percent. Saxenda was the world’s first obesity treatment to be approved as a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. Saxenda shares the same substance liraglutide with Victoza, prescribed to type 2 diabetes patients, but its administration route and dose are different. As the users became aware of the medication to be comparatively safer with its mechanism of working like appetite-regulating and weight loss-inducing GLP-1, Saxenda has been enjoying unprecedented popularity for last two years. Started off with 2018 third quarter sales at 1.7 billion won, Saxenda’s sales surged to 5.6 billion won in the fourth quarter and took the lead in the market. Ever since the sales in first quarter of 2019 broke through 10 billion won point, Saxenda has maintained the sales around 10 billion won and defended the market leader title. In the third quarter last year, the treatment sales peaked and it dominated market share of 33.7 percent. But Saxenda’s easy race was shaken up, when Qsymia has announced its release in last January. Quarterly sales of major obesity treatments in South Korea (Unit: KRW 100 million) Source: IQVIA Immediately after the launch, Qsymia generated 4.3 billion won in the first quarter and came in second in the Korean obesity treatment market. After making another 5.8 billion won in the second quarter, Qsymia accumulated 10.2 billion won in the first half of the year and consolidated its strong market presence next to Saxenda. As of the first half of 2020, Qsymia’s market share has reached 14.4 percent. The figure doubles the market share of Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s Dietamin (6.7 percet) that used to be the second in the market until the fourth quarter last year. Alvogen Korea licensed in phentermine and topiramate combined Qsymia from the U.S.-based pharmaceutical company Vivus in 2017 for the sales in the South Korean market. Alvogen Korea also signed a co-marketing deal with Chong Kun Dang late last year and came into the market with powerful sales and marketing activities. Well experienced in the obesity treatment market with Furing and Furimin, Alvogen Korea created a mutual synergy effect with Chong Kun Dang’s vast sales power and quickly took over the market. Except for Qsymia, other treatment generally experienced stagnating growth. Three products out of the top five—Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s Dietamin, Huon’s Hutermin and Alvogen Korea’s Furing—saw their sales fall compared to last year same time. Hutermin made 3.1 billion won and raised the sales only by 0.8 percent from last year, whereas Dietamin (4.7 billion won) and Furing’s (2.7 billion won) sales volume fell by 0.2 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively, against last year. The market was expecting an intense competition eyeing on the market share left by a blockbuster drug Belviq as it exited the market with risk of developing cancer. But the market experts say the pandemic and release of Qsymia have grounded them from soaring in the market.
- Company
- The KRPIA appoints Kim Minyoung to succeed Kim Seongho
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Aug 28, 2020 06:17am
- Kim Seong-ho (62), the former executive director of the KRPIA, has been decided to succeed. According to related industries, KRPIA has recently confirmed Kim Min-young, who was in charge of the JAPAC regional headquarters (region) in Amgen Asia, as the general manager of insurance policy and external cooperation. The position is executive director. He is known as a person with experience in marketing and sales, as well as foreign cooperation such as MA (Market Access). Meanwhile, former executive director Kim Seong-ho left the association, which he had been with for about eight years since 2012, ending last April. Kim, who has been in charge of policy affairs at the association, was at the forefront of communication with the government for the reform of the drug price system. It also played an important role in the process of improving the system, such as expanding the targets of the Risk Sharing Agreement (RSA) and applying the RSA, a generic drug awaiting announcement. Since the resignation of former vice chairman Lee Sang-seok (67), the KRPIA and its member companies, which had no officials from the government, were concerned about the gap of him, an expert in drug price and policy management. As such, interest in the successor was also high.
- Company
- Janssen's investment in Lazertinib has scientific basis
- by An, Kyung-Jin Aug 27, 2020 06:25am
- Professor Byeong-cheol ChoJanssen, a global pharmaceutical company, is supporting the development of a new anticancer drug, 'Lazertinib,' introduced by Yuhan. Since the introduction of the technology in November 2018, a total of three global clinical trials have begun in a year and a half. In April, It showed its willingness to continue development by paying a large-scale technology fee for the development of a combination therapy of Amivantamab and Lazertinib, which is being developed on its own. It is also strong to enter global phase III clinical trials related to the combination therapy of Lazertinib within this year. Although there may be a difficult process to pass through the final gateway of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is a great pleasure that a new drug candidate developed with domestic technology is fully supported by Big Pharma. The competing drug, Tagrisso (Osimertinib), which acts as a similar mechanism to 'Lazertinib', has been approved by major countries around the world early and is being actively prescribed, which raises further questions. What secrets are hidden in Janssen's aggressive investment confidence? Professor Byeong-cheol Cho (Oncology, Yonsei Cancer Center), an authority in the field of lung cancer, said, "(Janssen) has enough scientific evidence to be greedy. the answer is hidden in the ongoing clinical results of Amivantamab and Lazertinib." Professor Cho has been working on the development process of Lazertinib and Amivantamab for a long time. From the preclinical stage, Janssen and Yuhan are actively participating in ongoing clinical research. The results of the CHRYSALIS study evaluating the combination therapy of Lazertinib and Amivantamab will be presented at the annual conference of ESMO 2020, which will be held online in the middle of next month. The global oncology community is drawing attention as the first clinical data that can confirm the synergistic effects of the two drugs in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer showing EGFR (epithelial cell growth factor receptor) mutation findings. In particular, there is a lot of interest in the results of administration to patients who developed resistance after administration of Tagrisso. He said, "There are many EGFR-targeted anticancer drugs such as Iressa and Tarceva, but there are still no alternatives for patients who have failed Tagrisso treatment. It is a pity as a clinician because they know that they have no choice but to use strong chemotherapy, and it would be nice to look forward to the safety data of the Amivantamab combination therapy." Janssen received approval for a global phase I clinical trial plan related to 'Lazertinib' monotherapy in June last year, after 7 months of technology export. Three months later, it started to develop in earnest by entering into clinical trials related to the combination therapy of Amivantamab and Lazertinib. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) also showed affection at the group level, pointing out Amivantamab and Lazertinib as promising pipelines for the pharmaceutical division. Recently, a global phase III clinical trial plan related to the combination therapy of Lazertinib and Amivantamab was newly registered on Clinical Trials, a clinical trial registration site operated by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Patient recruitment starts in October of this year and ends in January 2024. It is evaluated that it has reaffirmed the goal of completing the NDA application for new drug approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by 2023.
- Company
- Champix has the lowest sales in 5 years
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Aug 27, 2020 06:24am
- ChampixSales of Pfizer's stop-smoking aid, 'Champix (Varenicline)' declined. In the second quarter of this year, sales fell 26% compared to the previous quarter. Quarterly sales are the lowest since the third quarter of 2015. Despite the aggressive patent defense strategy, the number of applicants for the government's smoking cessation project steadily declined, and in the first half of this year, the COVID-19 outbreak led to a decline in sales. Moreover, since the generics were released in earnest after July, when the material patent expired, sales are expected to decrease significantly from 3Q. According to IQVIA on the 26th, 2Q sales of Champix amounted to ₩5.1 billion. It decreased by 8% compared to the second quarter of last year (₩5.5 billion), and It decreased by 26% compared to the first quarter of this year (₩6.9 billion). There is a big difference from what was once (Q1 2017) quarterly sales of ₩21.4 billion. Champix's sales surged as the government expanded its smoking cessation business. However, starting in the first quarter of 2017, the number of participants in the smoking cessation project steadily declined. In November 2018, with the release of generics, the drug price was reduced by 38.9% (₩1,100 ←₩1,800). In order to prevent a decline in sales, Pfizer has devoted all efforts to patent defense. In January 2019, the Supreme Court's ruling on Solifenacin was decisive. The Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal to evade a patent for salt-modified drugs. Most of the pharmaceutical companies that released generics for Champix withdrew from the market. This is because the legal dispute with Pfizer was a burden as the loss in the future became influential. In the end, in December of the same year, the Patent Court ruled the same on the salt-modifying drug for Champix. Even some of the generics that had not been withdrawn from the market were banned from selling. Pfizer's patent defense seemed to have some effect. In fact, sales rose slightly until the first quarter of this year after ruling on Solifenacin. Quarterly sales from ₩5.5 billion in the second quarter of 2019 recovered to ₩5.7 billion in the third quarter, ₩6.5 billion in the fourth quarter, and ₩6.9 billion in the first quarter of 2020. However, in the second quarter, sales decreased again to ₩5.1 billion. It is the lowest since the third quarter of 2015 (₩4.9 billion). This was before the government launched a smoking cessation support project. It is expected that sales will decline more sharply from 3Q. This is the effect of the massive release of generics as patent of Champix expired on July 20th. According to the MFDS, it is confirmed that as of August 25, 34 companies launched 66 generic items. An official from the pharmaceutical industry said, "The number of participants in the smoking cessation business drastically declined due to the COVID-19 incident in the first half, and the effect appeared in the second quarter. It will be greatly reduced."
