13 new drugs added to Japan's NHI list

Japan's Chuikyo (the Central Social Insurance Medical Council) has approved the addition of 13 new drugs (five New Chemical Entities and eight with new formulations, dosages and/or administration routes) to the National Health Insurance drug price list, effective September 15.

- Among the NCEs is Pfizer Japan's Gabapen (gabapentin) for the treatment of partial seizures in combination with other epilepsy drugs. Its NHI price per 300mg tablet of 53.00 yen ($0.45) was calculated under the similar comparison method using Kyowa Hakko and Nikken Chemical's sodium valproate brands Depaken and Selenica as comparators and the foreign price adjustment. The drug was granted a premium for usefulness of 5% and marketability of 3%. Sales of Gabapen for the first year and at its peak in the fifth year are expected to reach 270.0 million yen and 2.35 billion yen, respectively.

- For Schering-Plough's Temodar (temozolomide), the NHI prices for 20mg and 100mg capsules were set at 3,345.90 yen and 16,746.50 yen, respectively, and were based on the cost calculation method because of no similar drugs. Turnover of the agent for the first year and its peak in the fifth will be 414.0 million yen and 1.57 billion yen, respectively.