South Korea Healthcare and Pharma News: Policy, and Market Access

South Korea’s HIRA to Advise Drugmakers on Faster Rare Disease Listings

South Korea’s Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service is preparing a consultation meeting for pharmaceutical companies as part of a pilot program intended to speed up insurance coverage for rare disease treatments.

The meeting is designed to help companies understand how the accelerated listing pathway works and how they can apply for coverage for individual products.

HIRA and NHIS Join Effort

Several government departments will participate in the meeting. Following agencies will attend the meeting:

• HIRA’s Pharmaceutical Management Division

• Rare and Severe Disease Performance Evaluation Division

Focus on Reducing Access Delays

HIRA President Hong Seung-kwon said strengthening coverage for rare disease medicines is a central priority for the agency. He noted that patients may lose valuable treatment opportunities when effective therapies are available but face delays during the insurance listing process.

The consultation is intended to give pharmaceutical companies a direct forum to clarify requirements, address procedural concerns, and improve their understanding of the pilot pathway.