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- 2026-03-19 01:38:07
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- Patients with Ultracet don't get benefit for anticancer drug
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jun 23, 2020 06:21am
- There have been cases that do not meet the intention of the original insurance benefit standard in the treatment of prostate cancer. Targeted anticancer drug options such as 'Zytiga (Abiraterone acetate)' and 'Xtandi (Enzalutamide)' currently exist in adult resistant castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Moreover, since last May, the coverage has been expanded through screening benefits (Copayment 30%) for both drugs. It is said that the reimbursement is recognized if no narcotic analgesics are used, looking at the criteria for mCRPC treatment, such as Xtandi and Zytiga. The point is not 'narcotics' but 'painless or mild'. It is intended to administer anti-cancer drugs to patients who are not severe enough to be prescribed narcotic analgesics. However, there are some medications used to manage pain in mild patients, such as Ultracet (AAP/Tramadol). Ultracet is not classified as a narcotic analgesic by the MFDS, but Tramadol in Ultracet is classified as narcotic. Ultracet is similar to the pain control effect of high-dose NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) in medical field, but has fewer side effects and is widely prescribed. The mCRPC patient was excluded from the benefits of anticancer drugs because they were prescribed a commonly used drug. Recently, there were cases of patients excluded from the benefits due to being prescribed Ultracet on the National Petition on Cheongwadae website. The patient was diagnosed with end-stage prostate cancer and had surgery in June 2017 with bone metastasis. Since then, his cancer has spread to the lungs, but his condition has improved as the oral anticancer drug is prescribed and the prostate specific antigen (PSA) level is maintained below 0.5. However, because of Ultracet prescribed in the past, he were notified that it was no longer possible to get reimbursed, so he stopped taking the medicine. Currently, his condition has worsened, with PSA levels increasing to 5.98. Seok-Ho Kang, Public Relations Director of the KUOS, said "Ultracet is a widely prescribed pain reliever for patients with mild pain. For those who cannot receive treatment due to unreasonable reimbursement standards, it is necessary to improve the standards that are more realistic and consistent with clinical evidence."
- Company
- Immunotherapies tap on SCLC treatment area for more options
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jun 23, 2020 06:21am
- One after another, immunotherapies are tapping into the unexplored small cell lung cancer (SCLC) treatment area. According to the pharmaceutical industry sources on June 20, AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (duvalumab), following Tecentriq (atezolizumab) by Roche, has been indicated as a first-line treatment for SCLC by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) Imfinzi’s SCLC indication was cleared in Korea for the third time in the world after the approval in Singapore and the U.S. SCLC was considered to be ‘hopeless’ for new drug as there was no treatment option other than chemotherapy for last two decades. The aggressive SCLC shows poor prognosis with five-year survival rate of just 6.5 percent, about a quarter of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The Phase III CASPIAN study tested efficacy and safety of Imfinzi against existing standard of care in patients with SCLC from 22 countries around the world, who have not received any treatment. The study confirmed statistically significant improvement in overall survival (OS) in the arm receiving Imfinzi combined with etoposide and either carboplatin or cisplatin chemotherapy, compared to the control arm treated with six cycles of chemotherapy followed by optional Prophylactic Cranial Irradiation (PCI). The Imfinzi combination therapy reduced the risk of death by 27 percent against the standard of care, and demonstrated median OS of 13.0 months, which was 2.7 months longer than the standard of care. And other endpoints like progression free survival and objective response rate have indicated Imfinzi combination therapy shows enhanced efficacy against the standard of care. As for another immunotherapy Tecentriq, the Phase III IMpower133 study confirmed Tecentriq’s meaningful efficacy by comparing 403 patients with SCLC either treated with Tecentriq combined with chemotherapy (etoposide and ecarboplatin) or the chemotherapy alone. The study result found the patient group treated with Tecentriq combination therapy reached the medial OS of 12.3 months, whereas the chemotherapy alone reached 10.3 months. Compared to the control group, the Tecentriq combination group had 30 percent lower risk of death. Also 51.7 percent of the patients in Tecentriq combination group survived after a year, but only 38.2 percent of the chemotherapy only group survived after a year.
- Company
- Daewoong wins first patent dispute in Belkyra after 2 years
- by Kim, Jin-Gu Jun 22, 2020 06:10am
- BelkyraDaewoong has passed the first gateway for the release of generic for Belkyra (Deoxycholic acid), which targets and eliminates fat cells under the chin. Daewoong won the patent dispute that has been leading for two years with Allergan. The IPT ( Intellectual Property Trial and Appeal Board) made a trial decision on the 19th at Daewoong Pharmaceutical's passive judgment on the scope of the right to claim Belkyra's formulation patent. The patent dispute related to Belkyra was triggered in March 2018 when Daewoong Pharmaceutical filed an invalidation trial on the formulation patent. Subsequently, in April, a trial to confirm the passive scope of rights was raised against the same patent. The dispute lasted more than two years. In this process, Allergan used a “time wasting” strategy through patent splitting. In January, two new patents were registered by removing some of them from existing patents. Daewoong Pharmaceutical also challenged each of the two split patents. Penmix, a subsidiary of Kuhnil Pharmaceutical, joined here. This trial is the conclusion of the passive judgment of the scope of rights raised in 2018. The result of the invalidation trial filed in the same year has not yet been announced. However, the Patent Judge has notified that the hearing will be closed in March, so it is expected that the result of this trial will be released soon. According to the industry, Daewoong Pharmaceutical analyzed that it raised a dispute with the aim of 'preemptive defense for the development of its own products' rather than 'early launching generics through patent evasion' from the beginning. Daewoong Pharmaceutical is currently developing a submandibular fat improvement injection under the name 'DWJ211'. Since March of last year, it has entered a phase III clinical trial in 150 patients at Konkuk University Hospital and Chung-Ang University Hospital. The indication is 'improvement of moderate and severe submandibular fat', which is the same as that of Belkyra. When development is finished, Allergan may file a patent infringement lawsuit. At this time, the trial is expected to be properly used for defense purposes. Even if the development of DJW211 is torn down, Daewoong Pharmaceutical will be able to release generics after August 24, 2023. Belkyra's patent expiration date is August 23, 2031, and the PMS expiration date is August 23, 2023. However, the generic release date is delayed if Allergan appeals. Belkyra is the only subcutaneous fat injection to be approved by the U.S. Food and the FDA. Belkyra’s indications include moderate to severe protrusions in adults or excessive submandibular fat improvement. It was released in Korea in early 2018. Belkyra contains Deoxycholic acid, a 100% chemical compound that is not derived from humans or animals. Injection of this substance subcutaneously irreversibly destroys the fat cell membrane and causes new collagen production at the treatment site.
- Company
- Big 5 DC pass HIV treating two-drug regimen Dovato
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jun 22, 2020 06:08am
- General hospitals in Korea are reviewing the prescription of GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) Dovato, a two-drug regimen indicated to treat HIV-1 infection. The pharmaceutical industry sources reported the drug committees (DC) at the Big Five general hospitals like Seoul National University Hospital and Severance Hospital have passed Dovato (dolutegravir/ lamivudine) after it was listed for reimbursement from early June. The healthcare reimbursement is granted for using Dovato in patients with HIV-1 infection with and without AIDS-related symptoms, who tests baseline CD4 cell count below 350/㎟, exceeds viral load of 100,000 copies /㎖, or is acknowledged by an infectious disease specialist to be prescribed with the drug. Moreover, the drug’s reimbursement would be provided for a pregnant person with HIV infection, infant born from HIV-infected mother, healthcare provider exposed to HIV infection, and spouse (partner) of a person with HIV infection for preventive purpose. In Phase III GEMINI1 and GEMINI2 trials, the drug was used to treat adult patients with HIV infection, and they confirmed the drug’s safety and antiviral effect equivalent to other triple-drug regimen (dolutegravir, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine). And in TANGO trial, adult patients, who maintained viral suppression for at least six months on a tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TAF)-containing triple-drug regimen, demonstrated a similar level of viral suppression effect after switching to the two-drug regimen. Recommended to administer a single tablet once-daily, 18,528 won per tablet Dovato would cost 555,840 won, monthly. The drug’s pricing is equal to the existing single-drug regimen option Tivicay (dolutegravir), which is at about 72 percent of the triple-drug regimen Triumeq (abacavir/ dolutegravir/ lamivudine).
- Company
- Yuyu Pharma exports FDA-approved COVID-19 test kit
- by Lee, Seok-Jun Jun 22, 2020 06:08am
- CEO Yu Wonsang of Yuyu Pharma (left) and CEO Lee Hyo-keun of SD Biosensor In partnership with SD Biosensor, Yuyu Pharma is to export COVID-19 test kit. At SD Biosensor headquarters office in Suwon on June 17, two companies signed a supply deal on real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test kit for COVID-19. SD Biosensor’s COVID-19 test kit has received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in April. As a result, USD 5.2 million worth of 300,000 kits were supplied to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as well. The RT-PCR kit, named 'STANDARD M nCoV Real-Time Detection Kit.,' amplifies and detects specific nucleic sequence to diagnose COVID-19 infection through human nasopharyngeal swabs and throat swab samples. SD Biosensor is one of six Korean companies that received EUA from FDA and one of seven companies Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) approved EUA for. CEO Yu Wonsang of Yuyu Pharma stated, “Using the company’s global network, the COVID-19 testing kit would prioritize export to the U.S. first and later expand out to other countries.”
- Company
- Outpatient Rx amount for major chronic diseases decreased
- by Chon, Seung-Hyun Jun 22, 2020 06:08am
- Prescriptions for chronic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes, which have the largest sales due to COVID-19, have been reduced by half. According to UBIST, a drug research agency on the 17th, the outpatient prescription size was ₩2,360 billion in April and May, a 9.0% decrease from the same period last year. In April, the outpatient prescription amount fell 8.7% from the same period last year, and the prescription amount decreased 9.4% last month. Prescriptions for major chronic diseases that form a large market have declined. The prescription amount for statin drugs used in the treatment of dyslipidemia was April and May, at 1618 billion won, a 4.0% decrease from the same period last year. Considering that the prescription amount of statins in April and May rose 7.1% year-on-year, the decline was large. In the first quarter, the outpatient prescription for statin drugs in the first quarter was ₩247 billion, an increase of 3.0% compared to the same period last year, but turned downward from April. The prescription amount for statin drugs in April was ₩82 billion, a 2.8% decrease from the previous year, and decreased by 5.1% in May. The prescription amount for hyperlipidemic drugs in the first quarter was ₩120 billion, up 26.0% from the previous year, but the prescription amount in April and May increased by 15.2%. Recently, Rosuvastatin or Atorvastatin and Ezetimibe combined drugs increased explosively as the preference increased, but growth has been slow since April. Monthly outpatient Rx Amount for major chronic disease treatments (Unit: ₩100 million, Source: UBIST) It is analyzed that a full-scale prescription difference occurred in the second quarter as patients with chronic diseases received long-term prescriptions in advance in February and March when the number of COVID-19 infected patients surged. In fact, when the number of COVID-19 infected patients surged, it was reported that the number of patients receiving prescriptions for 3 to 6 months in advance increased significantly. The large chronic disease prescription market, such as hypertension or diabetes, has a similar pattern. The April/May prescription for 'ARB+CCB' combination, the most commonly used hypertension drug, increased 2.3% compared to the same period last year. Compared to last year's April and May prescriptions, an increase of 7.1% over the previous year, growth has slowed. In the first quarter, the prescription size of outpatients was ₩198 billion, an increase of 10.0% from the same period last year. ‘ARB+CCB' is a combination drug of calcium channel blocker (CCB) and angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). The prescription amount of 'ARB+CCB' combination in the first quarter of last year was ₩180 billion, an increase of 9.2% over the previous year. However, the growth rates in April and May were reduced to 3.2% and 1.4%, respectively. In April and May, prescription amount for ARB-based drugs were ₩64.1 billion, a 3.3% decrease from the same period last year. The prescription amount in April and May last year increased by 7.2% from the previous year, but this year it decreased. Prescription amount for ARB-based drugs decreased in April and May by 2.8% and 4.9% YoY, respectively. The size of the April/May prescription for the 'DPP4-inhibitor + Metformin' combination, which is the most widely used diabetes treatment, was ₩30.7 billion, a 1.4% decrease from last April & May (₩30.5 billion). The prescription amount of 'DPP4-inhibitor + Metformin' in the first quarter rose 6.9% from last year. Monthly outpatient Rx amount for major antibiotics (Unit: ₩100 million, Source: UBIST) The amount of antibiotic prescription was significantly reduced in the major prescription market. The prescription amount of Cephalosporins in April and May was ₩29.6 billion, a 39.2% decrease from the same period last year. Prescriptions for oral Cephalosporins fell 1.3% year-on-year, but fell sharply after April. It decreased by 41.2% in April compared to the same period last year, and decreased by 37.1% in May. Prescription amount of oral Penicillins decreased 11.9% in the first quarter compared to the previous year, but fell 57.0% in April and May. It is analyzed that the decrease in antibiotic prescription is closely related to the decrease in the number of patients. This is because after the spread of COVID-19, external activities contracted and personal hygiene management, such as washing hands and wearing a mask, strengthened, and the incidence of infectious diseases such as cold decreased. According to statistics released by UBcare last month, prescriptions for acute nasopharyngitis in April were 71% less than in the same period last year. In April, the amount of prescriptions for children and adolescents decreased by 52% from the previous year, and the number of prescriptions dropped by 76%.
- Company
- “Immunotherapy Tecentriq, a crucial turning point for TNBC"
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jun 19, 2020 06:20am
- Professor Im Seock-ah “The release of immunotherapy makes a significant difference in treating triple-negative breast cancer with limited treatment options.” To this date, treating the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), reacting negatively on all receptors (estrogen, progesterone and HER2), has not been struggling with high unmet medical need. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibiting immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is now getting the limelight as it has been newly indicated to treat patients with TNBC. Roche Korea (President Nic Horridge) convened a press conference on June 17 at the Westin Chosun Seoul regarding the shift in TNBC treatment paradigm. On Jan. 30, Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) approved Tecentriq, in combination with nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab) paclitaxel, to treat patients with PD-L1 positive, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic TNBC. The indication made Tecentriq to be the first and only immunotherapy to treat patients with TNBC in Korea. In the IMpassion130 trial, the combination of Tecentriq and nab-paclitaxel demonstrated median progression free survival (mPFS) of 7.5 months in first-line treatment of patients with PD-L1 positive metastatic TNBC, and lowered the risk of progression or death by 40 percent compared with nab-paclitaxel alone. In the same patient group, the Tecentriq combination therapy marked the median overall survival (mOS) at 25.0 months. Professor Im Seock-ah at the oncology department of Seoul National University Hospital said, “The Tecentriq combination therapy demonstrated a meaningful improvement in PFS and mOS longer than two years in patients with metastatic TNBC. We can anticipate the treatment option to be a crucial turning point in treating metastatic TNBC with high unmet medical needs.”
- Company
- KRPIA-KPBMA welcome MOHW revising stepped pricing reduction
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jun 18, 2020 06:28am
- “We sincerely welcome the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s reasonable decision.” The pharmaceutical industry, especially the companies preparing an ownership change in drug item, seemed to be relieved with the latest decision by the Korean government. On June 17, Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) preannounced the revised Standard of Pharmaceutical Decision and Adjustment that ultimately exempted stepped drug pricing reduction on transferred drugs. So far, the pharmaceutical industry has been greatly concerned of the government possibly applying stepped drug pricing reduction on the drug products transferred due to corporate restructuring. The controversial Section ‘Ba’ revised The issue of pricing reduction on the transferred drug was first raised when the Standard of Pharmaceutical Decision and Adjustment was revised in February. The Section Ba (바) in the February revision, according to the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act Paragraph 2 of Article 89, stipulates a product transferred by a change in the ownership would be priced at a lower pricing between the final upper limit pricing and calculated pricing. In other words, an item’s pricing could be brought down depending on the number of listed generics and the revised drug pricing conditions the item qualifies for. Pfizer Pharmaceutical Korea (with Pfizer Upjohn Korea) and MSD (with Organon), for instance, are preparing to transfer a number of originals for their split and they were initially expecting significant damage. Also Takeda Pharmaceuticals that recently transferred its antidiabetic pipeline to Celltrion was not completely free from the issue. In case of Pfizer Pharmaceutical Korea transferring Lipitor (atorvastatin) to Pfizer Upjohn Korea, healthcare reimbursement on the first-in-class item would be removed at first. And when the item reapplies for the reimbursement listing, the original would be considered as a generic with over 20 other generics already listed, and Lipitor would be priced at 85 percent of the lowest pricing of other same substance drug. But the newly revised Section Ba stipulates when a same company re-applies for reimbursement listing of an already-listed but removed item, its pricing would be set to a lower pricing either by the final upper limit pricing or by the pricing calculated by the Article 2. Basically, the government newly established a separate regulation to maintain the original pricing of an item transferred to another company due to corporate merger or acquisition. Industry against the February revision, urged the government to revisit the change After the preannouncement of the first revision in February, Korean Research-based Pharmaceutical Industry Association (KRPIA), as well as Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association (KPBMA), have conveyed their official statement and urged the government to exclude the items transferred by corporate restructuring from the pricing reduction. KRPIA, representing the global pharmaceutical companies in Korea, has been demanding the government to make an exception in the revised drug pricing system via an authoritative interpretation. The organization claimed the revision did not agree with the initial objective of the regulation to follow the principle of differentiating the drug pricing by recognizing the endeavor to develop a novel drug. KPBMA also supported KRPIA’s argument by demanding the government to assure the status of a first-in-class drug (mostly a novel drug), and by questioning the government’s negative intention to ‘prevent unfair listing of a generic.’ However, the industry’s complain is seemingly subsiding fast as MOHW even set down a separate regulation instead of the demanded authoritative interpretation. KRPIA official said, “The issue could have gravely impacted the novel drug business. We sincerely welcome the government’s decision to prevent making an innocent victim while agreeing with the original objective of the regulation.” KPBMA official also commented, “The decision to sustain the pricing of transferred original drug was appropriate and well reflected the reality of the industry. By exempting the stepped pricing reduction on the transferred item, pharmaceutical companies would feel less burdened when diversifying the business model and collaborating with other partners.”
- Company
- It will be Fulcare & Dermatix to communicate more
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jun 17, 2020 06:21am
- Managing Director, Jaeyoung Lee 'Consumer Healthcare' now represents the OTC business. In the pharmacy market, the management relying on the profits of pharmaceuticals is limiting, and the interest in improving profits through OTC sales is increasing. In this situation, multinational pharmaceutical companies are attracting attention as long as they are promoting the strategy of catching both pharmacists and consumers. A treatment for nail athlete’s foot, Fulcare launched by Menarini in 2013, quickly became the top 10 OTC product in Korea. This year, Menarini is strengthening pharmacy communication through signing exclusive sales contracts with Kwangdong, while reaching out to consumers with TV advertisements for Fulcare and Dermatix Ultra The reporter of Dailypharm met with Jae-Young Lee (45), head of the consumer health care division of Menarini Korea, and heard about the company's strategy and direction. -You have a lot of experience in the consumer goods business. Briefly introduce yourself I started as a salesperson in Yuhan Kimberly. Since then, through various job experiences such as marketing and global marketing at Kimberly-Clark Headquarters, I have been able to experience sales and marketing in general for about 16 years. In the meantime, I thought to expand my capabilities for a healthy life for consumers, and started a new challenge at the Menarini Korea Consumer Business Division from December 2019. At that time, the company's consumer health division was making changes as various talents such as consumer goods channel experts, OTC channel experts, and digital e-commerce experts joined. Synergy effects are expected in the future. -The generic drug and consumer goods business are clearly different. Was there anything difficult? My previous career helped me a lot in common terms. On other aspects such as pharmacy communication and institutional restrictions, I am learning with the help of my colleagues. -The recently launched Fulcare & Dermatix TV advertisments have the strategy and will of the reorganized Menarini Consumer Healthcare. First, let's hear about Fulcare. Basically, both products aim to become a friendly brand that can communicate more closely with consumers and empathize with them. Among them, Fulcare chose an approach to understand the way and style of consumers' lives and focus on providing solutions that products can support in support, and to reach more meaningful brands. In the advertisement, full nail care restores the health of the nails and expresses our appearance of enjoying our own 'clear again' with confidence, and wanted to draw consumers' sympathy not only through clear product information but also emotionally. The message of 'clear again' can be said to contain the wishes of all of us in the COVID-19 outbreak. The goal is to get true empathy through the connection with the current era, beyond the framework of the existing generic drug advertisements, where certain models come out and describe the features of the product. TV advertisements for the newly launched Fulcare & Dermatix Ultra-What about Dermatix Ultra? Dermatix also focused on forming a consensus that brands could share in everyday life of consumers beyond simply delivering information on products. Since it is a medical device specialized in scar management, it focused on the differentiation points from other products for correct scar management, and expressed Jang Yoon-jung and Do Yeon-woo as models to express the hearts of families who care about each other. Dermatix Ultra Kids for children was also released last year. I think the safety of Dermatix, which can be used from 3 months of age and has clinical data supporting it, is a clear advantage. In order to highlight the friendly image of 'Kids' products, it is approached by using various contents such as digital marketing and consumer events using dinosaur characters. In fact, it is a pity that Menarini does not have any other products besides the two representative items. I agree. The first thing I did as soon as I joined Menarini was to set a vision for the next five years, one of which was strengthening the portfolio. What I felt in the COVID_29 was that national issues could occur anytime in the future. It's important how prepared we are for what happens. I think strengthening the portfolio is also essential in this dimension. This issue is currently being considered at the regional headquarters level as well as at Menarini Korea Corporation. Currently, two products that are recognized for brand power are being prepared to be introduced in various ways to create synergies when the next product is added. In particular, consumer health is now considering the concept of 'prevention'. This is in line with the release of 'Flucare plus cream'. We are constantly conducting studies on new products other than derivative products. -Then let's talk about pharmacy communication this time. There was a big change in Menarini, which was an item wholesale system From January of this year, through the new Co-Promotion partnership with Guangdong Pharmaceutical, we expect the results of mutual win-win by adding the product power of Menarini Korea and the sales force of Kwangdong As mentioned earlier, I had a lot of experience in the consumer goods business, so there are still some unfamiliar parts of the OTC industry and pharmacy channels. Through partnerships with Kwangdong, we continue to increase our competitiveness in the pharmacy channel, continue to provide a portfolio of products that can secure competitiveness in various channels, as well as communication to draw closer to consumers experienced in the consumer goods industry. Also, we paid much attention to the production of brochures for pharmacies. We provide brochures with rich clinical and academic data and details of the product. We plan to continue communication through media channels such as online symposiums and dailypharm.
- Company
- Roche’s Tecentriq is preparing to enter the Korean market
- by Eo, Yun-Ho Jun 17, 2020 06:21am
- Immune anticancer drugs are expected in the first line of hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea. According to the related industry, Roche Korea has recently expanded its indications for the combination therapy of Tecentriq (Atezolizumab) in combination with Avastin (Bevacizumab) for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have not received prior systemic therapy. Considering that it was approved by the US FDA on the 29th of last month, it is preparing to enter the Korean market quickly. If combination therapy with Tecentriq and Avastin is approved, it will be the third option as a first-line drug and the first as an anti-cancer drug. The combination therapy of the two drugs was confirmed by the IMbrave150 study released in last December. Tecentriq in combination with Avastin reduced the risk of death (OS) by 42% and reduced the risk of disease worsening or death (PFS) by 41%, compared with Nexavar (Sorafenib). With median follow-up of 8.6 months, median OS with Atezolizumab combination was not estimable (NE) compared to 13.2 months with Sorafenib. Median PFS with the combination was 6.8 months versus 4.5 with Sorafenib. The ORR with the respective treatments was 27% versus 12% with Sorafenib. Do-young Kim, Professor of Severance Hospital Said, "With the exception of OS verification, improvement in response rate and PFS is encouraging. Immune anticancer drug options has been added to the treatment of liver cancer that had no treatment other than Nexavar, and utilization is expected to increase in the future."
