Hanmi Pharm’s third-generation lung cancer drug Olita will soon be available at major hospitals in Seoul.

According to Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co., on Tuesday, Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital Cancer Center decided to register Olita as an emergency prescription drug to avoid a long administrative procedure of drug price examination before the hospital’s official registration.

Olita is also under review by drug price examination committees at Seoul National University Hospital and Samsung Medical Center, raising hope the drug will be available in the two hospitals as well.

Hanmi Pharm’s Olita selectively inhibits the activity of EGFR mutations known to be involved in lung cancer cell growth and survival and overcomes the resistance caused by previous treatments. It became Korea’s first novel drug that received the FDA’s breakthrough therapy designation.

Hanmi Pharm signed a $730 million license deal with Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) in July of last year. This means the drug’s valuation in Korea will affect its marketing performance in the global marketplace.

Acelex, an osteoarthritis drug developed by Korean biotech company CrystalGenomics Inc. and marketed by Dong-A ST Co. was recently approved by Asan Medical Center, while Brenzys, Samsung Bioepis’ biosimilar drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis, passed the review of Hanyang University Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases, one of Korea’s top arthritis treatment hospitals.

Zemiglo, a new diabetes drug developed by LG Life Sciences Ltd. and marketed by Daewoong Pharmaceutical Co. posted more than 24 billion won ($214.4 million) in sales for the first six months of this year, raising expectations that it will become Korea’s first novel drug whose annual sales surpasses 50 billion won.

By Kim Ki-cheol

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]