With the new drug approval fee raised to KRW 410 million on Jan. 1 this year, the industry is eyeing whether Dong-A ST will become the first to apply for marketing authorization and pay the raised new drug approval fee.

According to industry sources on the 7th, Dong-A ST applied for a prior consultation before applying for marketing authorization for its new drug cenobamate for epilepsy at the end of last year. Cenobamate is known under the brand name ‘Xcopri’ in the U.S.

The prior consultation is a procedure introduced when the fee was increased as an ‘innovative measure for new drug approval,’ and is only available once for new drugs that are scheduled to apply for marketing authorizat