Novartis among the first to benefit with approvals for Zolgensma, Kymriah, and Luxturna. The new law has also enabled its first clinical trial – a Phase Ib study by Seoul National University of a CAR-T therapy for recurrent or refractory, CD19-positive, B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Early engagement with US payers suggests openness to covering a liquid form of riluzole, because the tablet version is proven, but it's impossible to take for many ALS patients, says Italfarmaco subsidiary ITF Pharma.

Dutch biotech Treeway has completed its Phase I trial of lead program TW001, an oral formulation of edaravone, for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and will now prepare for a pivotal Phase III study.

Amid pharma industry’s repeated calls to improve the drug pricing system and properly reflect R&D cost of novel drugs, South Korea released steps that include hiking prices of “global innovative novel drugs” and biomedicines. Response is mixed, with foreign pharmas complaining the steps focus mainly on domestically developed drugs.