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- 2026-03-14 16:18:04
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- Self-administered Kynteles lands at general hospitals
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Mar 08, 2023 05:52am
- The self-injectable formulation of the inflammatory bowel disease treatment ‘Kynteles’ can now be prescribed at general hospitals in Korea. According to industry sources, the subcutaneous injection formulation of Takeda Pharmaceuticals Korea’s Kynteles (vedolizumab) has passed the drug committee (DC) reviews in tertiary hospitals such as Samsung Medical Center and Seoul Asan Medical Center and other general hospitals including Kyungpook National University Hospital, Yeungnam University Medical Center, and Inje University Haeundae Paik Hospital. The company has been quickly expanding its prescription area after the drug was listed for reimbursement in December last year. Kynteles is reimbursed in Korea if the patient ▲writes a ‘patient administration journal’ that is managed by his/her healthcare institution within 14 weeks of the first administration. For long-term prescriptions, ▲up to 2 weeks’ worth of prescriptions is allowed per prescription upon discharge, and up to 4 weeks’ worth of prescriptions is allowed for outpatient care patients. Also, up to 8-12 weeks’ worth of administration is approved for reimbursement in patients who show stable disease activity after 24 weeks of administration with no side effects. The subcutaneous injection formulation of Kynteles, ‘Kynteles Prefilled Pen inj.’ can be self-administered by the patient without visiting hospitals, and was approved for the same efficacy and effect as ‘Kynteles Inj,’ the intravenous injection formulation, in Korea on February 17. In addition to the existing strength held by the intravenous injection formulation of having a short administration period of 30 minutes, the added reimbursement of the subcutaneous injection formulation has provided a wider treatment option for Korean patients. The subcutaneous formulation of Kynteles showed a similar rate of clinical remission to that of the intravenous injection in the VISIBLE trials. In the VISIBLE 1 study that was conducted on adult patients with ulcerative colitis, the subcutaneous formulation showed comparable improved improvement with the intravenous formulation in terms of efficacy, safety profile, and tolerability. The VISIBLE 2 trial that evaluated the subcutaneous formulation as a maintenance treatment in adults with Crohn’s disease also confirmed the significant improvement in results, demonstrating the new formulation’s effect as a maintenance treatment. Kynteles is a biological agent used to treat patients with moderate-to-severe active ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. As the only anti-integrin therapy among inflammatory bowel disease treatments, the drug owns a safety profile that does not cause systemic immunosuppressive activity.
- Company
- Celltrion Healthcare published clinical result of Remsima SC
- by Hwang, Jin-joon Mar 08, 2023 05:51am
- An official from Celltrion Healthcare is giving a presentation on Remsima SC at ECCO. (Photo by Celltrion Healthcare)Celltrion Healthcare announced on the 6th in Copenhagen, Denmark, that it was holding the '2023 European Crohn's Disease and Colitis Society (ECCO)' for four days from the 1st (local time), and 'Remsima SC' was held for the purpose of US approval. announced that it had unveiled a new global clinical trial of '. The first clinical trial is the result of analyzing the efficacy and safety of Remsima SC compared to placebo during maintenance therapy after administering Remsima to patients with Crohn's disease (CD). It was released as a digital oral presentation online. 343 patients with moderate to severe CD were randomly assigned to the Remsima SC treatment group and the placebo control group in a 2:1 ratio at week 10 and compared at week 54. Clinical outcome The primary endpoint, clinical remission (CR), was 62.3% for Remsima SC and 32.1% for placebo. In the endoscopic response (ER), Remsima SC 51.1% and placebo 17.9%, a statistically higher efficacy result than the control group was confirmed. No new safety issues were identified with Remsima SC maintenance treatment. The second clinical trial was released through a poster presentation as a result of analyzing whether Remsima SC maintained a statistically significant advantage over placebo in phase 3 clinical trials for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). After 438 patients with UC were treated with Remsima up to week 10, they were randomly assigned to receive Remsima SC or placebo in a 2:1 ratio, and data from week 54 were compared. The CR set as the primary evaluation index for clinical results was 43.2% in the Remsima SC-administered group, higher than 20.8% in the placebo control group. No new safety issues were found in the clinical trial. The results of the post-clinical phase 1 post-analysis confirming the correlation between high serum trough concentration and low immunogenicity of Remsima SC were also released as a poster. Predictors of Immunogenicity in IBD Patients Treated with Infliximab: According to CT-P13 SC Phase 1 Post-Clinical Analysis', maintenance treatment with Remsima SC confirmed that the proportion of patients whose blood concentration reached a certain threshold or higher was higher than that of patients receiving an intravenous injection. done. Through this, indices such as antibody to the drug (ADA) and neutralizing antibody (NAb) involved in the immune process were lower, confirming the potential advantage of Remsima SC in terms of immunogenicity. Celltrion Healthcare also published three posters, including 'Network meta-analysis for comparative evaluation of the efficacy of Infliximab IV and SC and Vedolizumab IV and SC in the maintenance treatment of patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis'. presented at the conference.
- Company
- Exkivity applies for reimbursement
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Mar 07, 2023 05:38am
- Exkivity, an anti-cancer drug targeting EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation, is aiming for insurance coverage. Takeda Korea recently submitted a reimbursement application for Exkivity, a treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with an EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation. This drug targets the same biomarker as Janssen's Rybrevant but differs in that it is an oral drug. EGFR Exon 20 insertion mutation is a new biomarker that has recently attracted attention in the field of non-small cell lung cancer. Currently available anticancer drugs are suitable for Exon19 deletion or Exon21 L858R substitution mutation, which are commonly found in EGFR mutations, but EGFR Exon20 was still a blind spot. Accordingly, it remains to be seen whether GFR exon 20 insertion mutation non-small cell lung cancer targeting anticancer drugs can be listed in Korea. In the case of Rybrevant, it failed to cross the HIRA barrier after applying for benefits once. Rybrevant proved its efficacy through a phase 1/2 study conducted on 114 patients with non-small cell lung cancer with an EGFR exon 20 insertion mutation who had previously received platinum-based chemotherapy. Clinical results, in the patient group who took Rybrevant 160 mg, the ORR evaluated by IRC was 28% and the mDOR was 17.5 months. In particular, the median reaction time after administration of Rybrevant was 1.9 months, confirming that the drug's effect appears quickly from the beginning of treatment. mPFS was 7.3 months and mOS was 24.0 months. The safety profile was also found to be favorable. The most common adverse reactions were diarrhea, rash, and fatigue, which can be managed by adjusting the dose.
- Company
- Boryung officially launches Zepzelca
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Mar 06, 2023 05:56am
- Boryung announced on the 28th that it has officially launched Zepzelca, a new small-cell lung cancer drug, in Korea. Zepzelca is a new anticancer drug developed by PharmaMar S.A. It is used for metastatic small-cell lung cancer that has failed first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Zepzelca is a new drug with a mechanism that simultaneously shows 'apoptosis of cancer cells through inhibition of DNA transcription' and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, immune checkpoint action, and angiogenesis through suppression of transcriptional activity in Tumor-Associated Macrophage (TAM). Zepzelca was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in September of last year and will be distributed to medical institutions in earnest through this official launch. It was released in July 2020 in the US. Zepzelca has established itself as a representative second-line treatment for small-cell lung cancer in the United States, with sales of $535 million until last year. Currently, more than 40% of patients with small cell lung cancer are prescribed Zepzelca as a second-line treatment. In Korea, Boryung has held exclusive sales and distribution rights for Zepzelca since 2017. Boryung expects the use of Zepzelca to expand as there are not many types of second-line or higher small-cell lung cancer treatments in Korea. According to the literature supporting the approval of Zepzelca published in The Lancet Oncology, an overall response of 35% based on the entire patient group, the average duration of response of 5.3 months, ease of administration given once every 3 weeks, and manageable side effects such as clinical benefits such as existing drug The contrast effect is evaluated as excellent. For this reason, Zepzelca is also recommended in the NCCN and ESMO guidelines. Young-seok Kim, head of Boryung Onco Division, said, "So far, the options for second-line treatment have been limited for patients with small cell lung cancer who have failed platinum-based chemotherapy."
- Company
- ‘No regrets...happy to have served at Daiichi Sankyo Korea'
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Mar 06, 2023 05:56am
- Dae Jung Kim, President of Daiichi Sankyo Korea “I have no regrets. Although I have no specific plans set for the future, I would like to say it was a great honor to have served over 30 years at Daiichi Sankyo, and will cherish the memory forever.” Dae Jung Kim (63), President of Daiichi Sankyo Korea and the longest-serving multinational pharmaceutical company CEO in Korea, is leaving the industry. Although the company headquarters proposed to extend his term, President Kim has respectfully expressed his intention to resign. As successor, Daiichi Sankyo Korea recently appointed Jeong-tae Kim (49), the current vice president of Daiichi Sankyo Korea, as the new president. Accordingly, President Dae Jung Kim will retire at the end of this month (March) and remain as an advisor to help the company for the time being. “After dividing the employees into over 20 teams, I have been holding farewell parties with them for almost 2 months. Having served such a long time, I wanted to personally meet each and every one of my employees and express my gratitude. I will be leaving the beloved company after completing the overseas workshop that we haven’t been able to conduct due to COVID-19.” After being appointed as President of Daiichi Sankyo Korea in 2010, President Kim led the Korean subsidiary for 15 years. Also, President Kim had been working at Daiichi Pharmaceutical before the company merged with Sankyo in 2007. Kim joined Daiichi Pharmaceutical in 1991. After leaving the company to acquire an MBA, he returned to work in the US office and Japanese headquarters and led the M&A process of the Korean subsidiary. Although Daiichi was not his first place of work, Kim had been with Daiichi Sankyo for nearly 30 years. Kim said, “During my term, I worked to stay true to principle. I believe the role of multinational pharmaceutical companies in Korea is pretty clear. Rather than conduct research or manufacture products, the companies need to supply the products that they have already developed to the Korean patients. Based on this belief, I worked to deliver accurate instructions on how to use the product we introduced to Korea. We thoroughly monitored variables that could occur on-site, unlike in the clinical setting, and focused on improving the knowledge of our employees to ensure accurate information delivery.” While reminiscing, Kim chose the patent term expiry of ‘Olmetec’ as his most difficult period. “At the time, sales of Olmetec fell by nearly 20% due to the inflow of its generics and the price cut that followed. So we decided to take on a ‘choose and focus’ strategy and set the slogan ‘to become reborn as a cardiology treatment specialist,' based on which we discontinued the domestic promotional activity for our antibacterial agent ‘Cravit.' Fortunately, the strategy showed an effect. This decision was solely made by the Korean subsidiary, and we were the only one in the Asia-Pacific region to make such a decision.’ “As a result, we accumulated knowledge and rapport in cardiology, which led to the success of the fourth new oral anticoagulant (NOAC), ‘Lixiana.’ Of course, factors such as the performance of our partners also contributed to the success, so it was a result of everyone's efforts." Immediately after his retirement, President Kim plans to trek the 750km Haeparang trail alone for 50 days. Kim made time for such solitary walks at every turning point of his life. “I only have gratitude and thanks to express to my executives and employees at Daiichi Sankyo Korea. As a leader, I have long been in a position where I had to set a direction and lead the people forward. Having experienced the joys and sorrows together, I want to express thanks to the many that believed in me and followed me through difficult times. I owe my safe retirement to my executives and employees."
- Company
- JAK inhibitor market jumped 2.4 times in 3 years
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Mar 03, 2023 05:57am
- (From left) Product photos of Olumiant, Rinvoq, and Xeljanz The market for Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, an oral autoimmune disease treatment drug, has expanded 2.4 times over the past three years. In addition to Xeljanz, which was leading the market, new products such as Olumiant and Rinvoq were added, and each product actively expanded its indications. Competition between major products is also getting fiercer. Olumiant overtook Xeljanz to become the No. 1 in the market in its fourth year of release, and Rinvoq grew more than four times last year compared to the previous year, rapidly catching up with Olumiant·Rinvoq. According to IQVIA, a pharmaceutical market research institute, on the 27th, the size of the domestic JAK inhibitor market last year was 40.6 billion won, an increase of 34% compared to 2021. JAK inhibitors are drugs used for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and atopic dermatitis. It is a mechanism that blocks inflammation, pain, and cell activation by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. In 2014, Pfizer's Xeljanz was approved in Korea for the first time, followed by Lily's Olumiant in 2017 and AbbVie's Rinvoq in 2020. In 2021, Pfizer received approval for Cibinqo as a successor to Rinvoq. As new products have been introduced one after another in recent years, the size of the related market is also rapidly expanding. The size of the JAK inhibitor market, which was 16.9 billion won in 2018, increased 2.4 times to 40.6 billion won in three years. It is analyzed that not only the addition of new products but also the active expansion of indications for each product had an impact on the market growth. Xeljanz was first approved for rheumatoid arthritis and then added indications for psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and ulcerative colitis. Olumiant was also initially approved for use as an indication of rheumatoid arthritis. In 2021, the indication was expanded to atopic dermatitis for the first time among JAK inhibitors. In addition, at the end of last year, it applied for the expansion of indications targeting severe alopecia areata. Rinvoq has the fastest rate of indication expansion among major drugs. After receiving approval for rheumatoid arthritis, Rinvoq added indications for psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, atopic dermatitis, and ulcerative colitis one after another from the end of 2021. AbbVie plans to add Crohn's disease to this. ◆Olumiant leader, Rinvoq soaring… Competitive heat for expansion of indications As generic drugs rapidly expand their indications, competition for the lead in this market is also intensifying. Olumiant surpassed Xeljanz and rose to the top spot in the fourth year of its release. Last year, Olumiant's sales increased by 22% year-on-year to 15.4 billion won. The rise of Rinvoq, which secured the most indications in a short period of time, is also remarkable. Rinvoq's sales last year were 11.5 billion won. From 2.7 billion won in 2021, it soared 4.3 times in one year. During the same period, Xeljanz sales decreased by 11% from 15.1 billion won to 13.5 billion won. Xeljanz sales have been declining since 16.2 billion won in 2020. It is analyzed that the fact that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned of the possibility of cardiovascular side effects of Xeljanz based on post-marketing investigations affected the decrease in sales. The FDA warned not only Xeljanz but also Olumiant·Rinvoq with the same content because the mechanism was similar, but the market impact seems to have been prominently shown in Xeljanz. The pharmaceutical industry predicts that competition among JAK inhibitors will intensify in the future. The key is the atopic dermatitis market. In particular, the application of benefits to children and adolescents is expected to have an impact on future market trends. Currently, Olumiant and Rinvoq are covered for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adults. In the case of Rinvoq, the indication for atopic dermatitis in children and adolescents has been approved, and there is a possibility that it will receive reimbursement within the year. If Rinvoq expands its coverage to the indication of atopic dermatitis in children and adolescents, it is expected that the rise will be even steeper. Olumiant has not secured indications for atopic dermatitis in children and adolescents. Pfizer is also targeting the atopic dermatitis market with Cibinqo, a follow-up drug to Xeljanz. Cibinqo is approved for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older. However, wages have not yet been applied. Pfizer applied for insurance benefits for atopic dermatitis in adults last year but withdrew it, and recently reapplied for insurance benefits for both children and adolescents and adults.
- Company
- Obesity mkt grows larger than ever...Saxenda leads mkt
- by Chon, Seung-Hyun Mar 03, 2023 05:57am
- The domestic obesity treatment market grew to record an all-time high last year. Saxenda maintained its unrivaled lead for 4 consecutive years and left its competitor Qsymia far behind. According to the market research institution IQVIA on the 2nd, the obesity treatment market grew 22.4% YoY to reach KRW 175.7 billion last year. The obesity treatment market had renewed its record for 4 consecutive years since it first set a 10-year new record of KRW 134.1 billion in 2019. The market, which had recorded KRW 96.8 billion in 2018, had recorded high annual growth of 81.5% for the 4 years that followed. However, this growth in the obesity treatment market had slowed down with the spread of COVID-19. In 2019, the market had grown by 38.5% YoY. However, the market only grew by 6.6% and 0.4% in 2020 and 2021, respectively. At the time, interest in obesity treatments declined with the reduction in people's outdoor activities in the early stages of COVID-19. However, last year, the demand for obesity treatments increased again among people who gained weight due to reduced outdoor activities during the COVID-19 crisis and the rise in outdoor activities with the lift of social distancing measures. Among the treatments, Saxenda rose to the sold lead, breaking the two-way structure it had held with Qsymia. Last year, Saxenda’s sales increased 62.7% YoY to KRW 58.9 billion. This is the largest sales it had recorded since its release. It surpassed the KRW 42.6 billion it had made in 2019 by 38.3% in 3 years. Saxenda is the world’s first GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide 1) analogue approved to treat obesity. It contains the same ingredients as the company’s 'Victorza (liraglutide)’ which is used to treat diabetes but has a different dosage and administration. After recording KRW 42.6 billion in 2019, Saxenda’s sales fell for two consecutive years to KRW 36.8 billion in 2020, then to KRW 36.2 billion in 2021, but then made a sharp rebound. After making the lead in the obesity treatment market with KRW 5.6 billion in Q4 2018 with its release, the drug has topped the market ever since, for 17 consecutive quarters. Saxenda enjoyed explosive popularity as it acts with the same mechanism of action as the human body's GLP-1 and suppresses the patient’s appetite to induce weight loss, forming the perception that it is relatively safe. Last year, Saxenda occupied 33.5% of the market. Saxenda’s market share surged from 7.8% in 2018 to 31.8% in 2019, then its growth slowed down somewhat to 25.8% and 25.2% in 2020 and 2021. However, the product regained its rapid growth last year, and its share of the market also reached an all-time high. Qsymia maintained its second place in the market. Its sales rose 14.8% YoY and recorded sales of KRW 30.1 billion last year. Qsymia, which was released at the end of 2019, is a combination drug that contains ‘phentermine’ and ‘topiramate’ that Alvogen Korea gained exclusive marketing rights for in Korea from the US company Vivus. Alvogen Korea signed a copromotion agreement with Chong Kun Dang at the end of 2019 and started to sell the drug in earnest in Korea. Qsymia’s rapid penetration into the market was possible due to the synergistic effect of the sales network owned by Alvogen Korea and Chong Kun Dang in the obesity treatment market from selling ‘Furing’ and ‘Furimin.’ Also, the fact that it contains relatively antipsychotics and may be prescribed long-term although it is an oral formulation acted as a success factor. In 2021, Qsymia’s sales rose to KRW 26.2 billion and closely chased Saxenda by KRW 10 billion. However, as Saxenda showed higher growth, the gap widened to 28.8 billion won last year. Sales of Korea Prime Pharm’s ‘ Phendimen’ rose tenfold from KRW 0.7 billion to KRW 8.2 billion last year. Phendimen is an obesity treatment that contains phendimetrazine. Daewoong Pharmaceutical's ‘Dietamine’ sales fell 5.5% YoY to KRW 7.9 billion, and sales of Huons' ‘Hutermin’ also fell 8.9% YoY to record ₩4.8 billion last year.
- Company
- Organizations and people change
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Mar 03, 2023 05:57am
- The Korean branch of Gilead is facing the most significant transformation since its inception in Korea. Various changes such as the establishment of a new business unit are expected along with changes in the composition of the workforce, such as the resignation of executive director Jeong Yeon-shin, a key member of Gilead Sciences Korea along with CEO Lee Seung-woo. First of all, CEO Lee Seung-woo will leave the company at the end of this month (March). Accordingly, Gilead is in the process of hiring a successor for CEO Lee. It is known that CEO Lee decided to retire with his resignation. CEO Lee is a symbol of a multinational company professional manager in the pharmaceutical industry. Having obtained MBA degrees from the University of Alberta in Canada and Columbia University in the U.S., he worked for Johnson & Johnson and the Korea Global Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA) before being appointed as the CEO of MSD Korea in 1996. He served as the CEO of a Korean subsidiary of a multinational company. In 2011, with the launch of Gilead's domestic corporation, he was appointed as the first head and has maintained his position. He has worked as a professional multinational company manager for over 25 years. Vice President Jeong Yeon-sim will also leave the company at the end of the first half of this year. Vice President Jeong joined Gilead Korea at the beginning of its establishment and was a key person who oversaw the company's external cooperation, such as drug pricing and public relations. His successor was recently confirmed. Director Kim Min-young, who was in charge of policy at the Korea Global Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA) until last month, will lead Gilead's drug pricing department. Significant changes are expected at the business level. Gilead, which has been a major player in antiviral drugs such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV, is preparing to enter the anticancer drug market in earnest in Korea starting this year. He is concentrating on the composition of the anti-cancer drug division along with the introduction of drugs such as CAR-T treatment 'Yescata' and ADC drug 'Trodelby'. Actual recruitment is also actively underway, and there are observations that anticancer drug experience will play a major role in hiring a successor for CEO Lee Seung-woo.
- Company
- MFDS approves LG Chem’s P3T for new gout drug
- by Hwang, Jin-joon Mar 03, 2023 05:56am
- A reseracher from LG Chem is reviewing clinical trial data (Pic: LG Chem) On the 28th, LG Chem announced that its global Phase III clinical trial protocol (EURELIA 2 Study) for ‘tigulixostat’ was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Tigulixostat is a new gout drug candidate being developed by LG Chem. The Phase III trial will enroll 2,600 gout patients with hyperuricemia around the globe. LG Chem plans to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tigulixostat in comparison with the existing ‘allopurinol,’ which is commonly used in gout patients, by administering the two drugs for 12 months. LG Chem explained that it plans to conduct the global clinical trial by submitting the global Phase III protocol for approval in other countries as well. Tigulixostat is being developed as an oral treatment taken once daily. In the Phase II trial that had been previously conducted, the primary efficacy endpoint was the response rate achieving sUA < 5 mg/dL at month 3. In the trial, the proportion of gout patients reaching sUA < 5 mg/dL at month 3 by study arms was 62% with 200 mg Tigulixostat, 3% with placebo, and 23% with Febuxostat.
- Company
- Corona drug competition system is imminent
- by Jung, Sae-Im Mar 03, 2023 05:55am
- As the COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of ending this year, pharmaceutical companies supplying related medicines are in the midst of preparing marketing and sales personnel to prepare for the end of the pandemic. According to the pharmaceutical industry on the 24th, Pfizer Korea is currently hiring large-scale new sales staff. The number of recruits is in double digits. It is very unusual for a multinational pharmaceutical company to hire more than 10 new employees. Usually, when there is a vacancy in a specific position, multinational pharmaceutical companies tend to hire one or two experienced staff only for that position. It is known that the reason why Pfizer is rapidly increasing sales staff is because of sales of Corona 19 treatments and vaccines. According to Pfizer Korea Recruitment, new recruits will be in charge of sales activities in the Corona 19 treatment/vaccine division. The work area will be decided after joining the company in consideration of the business situation in Seoul, Gwangju, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. So far, vaccines and treatments for Corona 19 have been made in such a way that when the government signs a purchase contract, pharmaceutical companies supply the government with a number of medicines and distribute them to necessary front-line medical institutions through companies contracted with the government. But when the COVID-19 pandemic ends, government purchases are expected to drop significantly. Like flu vaccines or medicines, individuals have to pay for and receive vaccinations and prescriptions at medical institutions according to their needs. The supply and sale of COVID-19 medicines will be transferred to the private sector. Moving to the private market, marketing and sales strategies are seen as having a major impact on sales. In particular, unlike therapeutics, which are prescription areas, vaccines can vary in consumer choice depending on awareness and price. Modena Korean corporation (Moderna Korea) has also recruited vaccine marketing and partnership personnel early on. In November of last year, it signed a joint partnership agreement with Guangdong Pharmaceutical for a COVID-19 vaccine. Kwangdong Pharmaceutical is in charge of providing product information on Moderna's Corona 19 2-valent vaccine to medical staff. Moderna Korea, which has not yet had a large workforce due to the establishment of a Korean corporation during the COVID-19 pandemic, is promoting its vaccines through active partnerships with domestic companies. Symposiums have also been held recently in Seoul and Busan to expand skinship with private practice doctors. The dominant forecast is that the end of Corona 19 will be in the middle of this year. The World Health Organization (WHO) took the lead in maintaining the Corona-19 public health emergency in January, but it is expected that the recommendation will be lifted at the next quarterly (April) meeting. In line with this, the United States and Japan issued a policy to end the corona emergency in early May. Korea is expected to follow the same steps. Ji Young-mi, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a recent meeting, "This year will be the first year to end the emergency phase and transition to normal life." As planned, we will observe the overseas situation to determine the level of domestic quarantine."
