The government has reaffirmed its policy to flexibly evaluate the ICER (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio) threshold for drugs that demonstrate innovativeness in order to strengthen patient access to new drugs.

The intent is to increase the ICER threshold of new drugs based on previously announced criteria such as substitutability, prolonged survival outcomes, and whether the drug is a fast-track drug.

The government maintained its position that it should be cautious about the need to extend the pharmacoeconomic exemption system to pediatric rare disease drugs and anti-cancer drugs.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare's Pharmaceutical Benefits Division explained so in re