Former Wonder Girls member Yubin has publicly shared her family’s harrowing battle with breast cancer, urging South Korean authorities to expand health insurance coverage for Tukisa (tucatinib), a life-saving oral therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer with brain metastases. Her appeal, launched on September 1, 2025, highlights the financial and emotional toll of accessing the drug, which costs approximately 30 million won (≈USD 21,500) every two months and remains entirely uninsured .
Yubin revealed that her older sister was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020 and has undergone grueling treatments since. The situation worsened in 2024 when the cancer metastasized to her brain, leaving her in excruciating daily pain. While Tukisa—a targeted therapy developed by South Korean biotech firm Seegene—has shown efficacy in treating brain metastases, the family faces insurmountable financial barriers. “This isn’t just about my sister,” Yubin emphasized. “It’s about ensuring future patients don’t lose hope due to economic realities” .
Tukisa is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) designed to penetrate the blood-brain barrier, a limitation of existing HER2-targeted therapies like Herceptin (trastuzumab) and Perjeta (pertuzumab). This breakthrough addresses a major gap: up to 50% of HER2-positive breast cancer patients develop brain metastases, for which no effective treatment existed until Tukisa’s approval .
Clinical trials underscore its impact. The Phase HER2CLIMB-02 trial found that Tukisa combined with Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine) significantly prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with brain metastases—7.8 months versus 5.7 months for placebo . Another study, **TRACE**, demonstrated improved quality of life and survival outcomes in real-world settings, particularly for patients with prior treatment resistance .
Despite domestic approval by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in December 2023, Tukisa remains excluded from the national health insurance program. Patients must either pay out-of-pocket or rely on costly personal imports, as domestic supply chains remain underdeveloped .
This disparity mirrors broader challenges in oncology drug accessibility. A 2024 report by the Korean Society of Medical Oncology noted that only 43% of newly approved anticancer drugs are covered by insurance within two years of approval, forcing 68% of patients to delay or treatment .
Yubin’s petition, titled “Request for Health Insurance Coverage and Expedited Approval of Tukisa for Breast Cancer Brain Metastases,” has garnered support from celebrities like actress Bae Yun-jung and thousands of netizens.
Critics argue that Tukisa’s high cost—approximately 200 million won annually when combined with other therapies—requires a balanced approach. However, advocates counter that long-term savings from improved survival and reduced hospitalizations justify public investment. For example, a 2023 analysis by the National Cancer Center estimated that covering Tukisa could save the healthcare system 12-18% in metastatic breast cancer-related costs over five years .
The urgency is underscored by global trends. In the U.S., Tukisa has been covered by Medicare since 2021, while the EU approved it for insurance reimbursement in 2022. South Korea’s delay risks becoming a case study in how regulatory approval alone does not guarantee equitable access .
Yubin’s appeal shines a light on the systemic barriers facing cancer patients in South Korea. While Tukisa offers hope, its lifesaving potential remains out of reach for many due to financial and logistical hurdles. As Yubin poignantly stated, “No family should have to choose between bankruptcy and a loved one’s life.” The government’s response to this petition will not only impact HER2-positive breast cancer patients but also serve as a litmus test for the country’s commitment to universal health coverage .
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