Pfizer's Besponsa, a B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia treatment, and Takeda's Zejula, an ovarian cancer treatment, have passed the threshold of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA)’s drug price assessment committee.

HIRA held a meeting of the committee on Thursday and concluded Besponsa and Zejula as eligible for insurance benefit. Both drugs received sales approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in the first-half year.

Besponsa, developed by Pfizer, is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted breakthrough therapy designation for the drug in 2015 and approved the drug in 2017. In Korea, the drug received orphan drug designation status from the ministry in 2016.

Zejula, developed by Tesaro, a subsidiary of GSK, is an orally active small molecule Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor to treat ovarian cancer.

HIRA's final decision is subject to change if there are changes in the details of the scope of reimbursement, reference items, drug's approval conditions, or nullification of the license.

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