Samjin Pharmaceutical (005500.KS) announced Wednesday that it will begin production of lorazepam (Ativan) injection, a national essential drug and a designated drug protected from market withdrawal. With concerns mounting in medical settings over supply disruptions that have continued since last year, the company is directly stepping in to stabilize the supply of essential emergency medicines.
Lorazepam injection is a sedative used to treat sedation, pediatric convulsions and seizures, and is essential for treating critically ill and emergency patients. As the supply instability has been prolonged in recent months, concerns over treatment gaps for patients have persisted in medical settings.
The supply stabilization effort was pursued through cooperation between health authorities and pharmaceutical companies. Samjin Pharmaceutical has held discussions with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, and the National Health Insurance Service. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety also provided support by visiting Samjin Pharmaceutical's Osong plant to inspect production status.
Samjin Pharmaceutical has consistently supplied national essential drugs and drugs protected from market withdrawal. The company supplies "Samjin Diazepam," the only injection in Korea used to treat emergency patients with status epilepticus, as well as "Samjin Nimodipine" for treating aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, and antibiotics including "Tiramox," "Zetin," "Fulgram," and "Hanomycin." The company explained that the production of lorazepam injection is part of its continued commitment to supplying essential drugs.
"Supporting medical professionals so they can focus solely on patient treatment without worrying about drug supply is a natural calling for a pharmaceutical company," Samjin Pharmaceutical President Kim Sang-jin said. "Going forward, we will take responsibility for the stable supply of national essential drugs based on close cooperation with health authorities, and further fulfill our corporate social responsibility to provide practical help for public health."
