Anticancer Drugs Alimtaju and Erwinaseju Expected to Be Covered by Health Insurance

Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Establishment of Benefit Standards

The anticancer drugs 'Alimtaju' (Pemetrexed) and 'Erwinaseju' (L-Asparaginase) have come closer to being covered by health insurance.

On the 6th, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service held the '2024 2nd Severe (Cancer) Disease Deliberation Committee' and set the reimbursement criteria for Alimtaju by Boryung Co., Ltd. and Erwinaseju by Clinigen Korea.

Alimtaju is a first-line treatment used in combination with pembrolizumab and platinum chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Erwinaseju is an injectable drug used together with other chemotherapy agents in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are hypersensitive to Escherichia coli (E.coli)-derived asparaginase.

Through the deliberation on this day, the conditions for administering Erwinaseju were changed from the previous 'cases where a grade 3 or higher allergic reaction or anaphylaxis occurs requiring a change' to grade 2 or higher.

Alimtaju and Erwinaseju will receive health insurance coverage after passing the Drug Reimbursement Evaluation Committee of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, followed by price negotiations with the National Health Insurance Service and review by the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee.