Janssen discontinues drug manufacturing in Korea

Janssen Korea has completed surrendering the manufacturing licenses of eight drugs in Korea, according to government and industry officials.

Janssen Korea has virtually completed withdrawing from the domestic manufacturing of its drugs, replacing them with imported products.

The eight items are Tylenol Tab. 160mg and Tylenol Tab. 80mg, Antiox Choco Tab., Stugeron Forte Cap., Stugeron Tab., and Ultracet Semi Tab., Ultracet ER Tab., and Ultracet ER Semi Tab.

The removal of permits for these items follows the company's decision to stop producing drugs in Korea. In 2018, Janssen Korea decided to suspend the operation of its Hyangnam Plant, sell the factory, and end production in Korea by 2021.

The plant, established in 1983, was a manufacturing base in the Asia-Pacific region that exported finished pharmaceutical products to eight Asian countries, including Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. However, the company decided to close the plant in line with the global headquarters' enhanced efficiency policy.

"Our manufacturing network for solid dosage forms was found to have significant excess capacity, and our future pipeline is unlikely to drive significant volume upside for the solids, due to an ongoing shift of production to cancer drugs and immune booster injections," a Janssen Korea spokesman said at that time.

Whanin Pharmaceutical acquired the plant for 46 billion won ($37.7 million) in 2020.

Since last year, Janssen Korea has replaced the items formerly manufactured at the facility, including Tylenol, Rispedal, and Reminyl, by receiving import permits.

For instance, when Tylenol became scarce as the number of Covid-19 patients receiving at-home treatment soared in Korea, the company received import approval under the product name Janssen Acetaminophen Tab. However, it changed the name back to Tylenol after withdrawing the sales approval for the locally manufactured product.

This year, the company pushed ahead with the conversion by drawing Tylenol 8 hours ER Tab. and Children's Tylenol Suspension and obtaining new licenses as imported items.