Pharmaceutical firms developed no major OTC drugs since 2000

SEOUL, April 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean pharmaceutical companies have not produced major over-the-counter drugs since 2000, an industry association said Wednesday, as they focused on the development of profitable specialized drugs.

A total of 25 OTC drugs, whose separate annual sales topped 10 billion won (US$ 8.9 million) last year, were introduced before 2000 when the government mandated the separation of OTC medicine and prescription medicine, according to Korea Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association.

The top 10 OTC drugs by sales volume include drugs with household names such as the popular energy drink "Bacchus," and they all hit the market before 2000, the association said.

The association also said only two out of 68 OTC drugs -- whose annual sales exceeded 5 billion won -- were produced since 2000, though the two medicines are made by foreign pharmaceutical companies.

Pharmaceutical firms developed no major OCT drugs since 2000



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IFPMA - Policies that Encourage Innovation in Middle-income Countries - report by Charles River Assoc

The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) asked Charles River Associates (CRA) to investigate the conditions necessary to encourage innovation in middle-income countries. Ultimately, the purpose of this project is to evaluate the policies of host governments that encourage investment in innovative activities and the implications for future innovation policy.

The report focuses on eight case study countries (Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Russia, South Africa and South Korea). The case studies were chosen using a number of criteria. Firstly, we selected countries from different geographic regions, focusing on those that had been most successful in developing innovative activities to date in their region. Secondly, we chose countries that illustrate a range of different policy approaches. Thirdly, we chose a mix of countries with a long-standing objective of developing an innovative industry as well as countries that had only relatively recently embarked on this. Finally, we included South Korea as a basis of comparison, which was a middleincome country when it instigated its programme to encourage pharmaceutical innovation and provides a longer term perspective on what is achievable.

In addition, to reviewing the existing academic literature and government sources, we undertook 25 interviews with government officials, academics, industry trade associations and individual companies.

 

Samsung to launch biosimilars by 2015 at half the current prices - from Generics and Biosimilars Online

South Korean electronics giant Samsung told the Financial Times that it plans to launch biosimilars by 2015 at half the prices that patients in Europe and the US currently pay.

The biotechnology arm of Samsung, Samsung BioLogics, has aims to complete a manufacturing plant outside Seoul, South Korea, by June 2012 and has committed more than US$2 billion in investments in its new plant up to 2020.

Mr Tae-Han Kim, President of Samsung BioLogics, told the Financial Times that ‘biopharmaceutical companies are good for sales, and biotech companies for innovation, but neither is good for manufacturing. It is in Samsung’s DNA to produce products at low prices while meeting legal and industry requirements. The price of monoclonal antibodies is very expensive and not affordable to all patients. That is a heavy burden on governments and [healthcare] payers.’

Samsung BioLogics ‘aims to be a world leader in biologicals development and manufacturing and to dedicate itself to improving global healthcare’ and it is doing this by creating partnerships.
In December 2011, the company entered into a biosimilars joint venture with US biotechnology company Biogen Idec and back in February 2011 Samsung made a deal with contract research organisation Quintiles to provide biologicals manufacturing and biosimilars development [1]. However, Samsung is not stopping there and Mr Kim added that ‘the company was also seeking other partnerships, and planned to start developing its own innovative medicines in the coming years.’

Samsung has been pursuing biosimilars since 2009, describing it as a business in which it aimed to grow strategically and would participate in ‘aggressively’.

South Korea is expected to become a major player in the global biosimilars market. Its long history in manufacturing biologicals, advanced R & D capability and the lack of patent issues, coupled with the government’s support for biosimilar development make South Korea an ideal place to develop biosimilars [2].

Related article
Samsung to enter biosimilars market

References
1. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. Samsung makes biosimilars deal with Biogen Idec [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2012 Apr 23]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/Samsung-makes-biosimilars-deal-with-Biogen-Idec

2. GaBI Online - Generics and Biosimilars Initiative. South Korea to emerge as global leader in biosimilar R & D [www.gabionline.net]. Mol, Belgium: Pro Pharma Communications International; [cited 2012 Apr 23]. Available from: www.gabionline.net/Biosimilars/News/South-Korea-to-emerge-as-global-leader-in-biosimilar-R-D

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