Big five’s earnings fall 11% on government’s forced price cut for drugs

Korea’s five major drug companies saw their combined earnings drop 11 percent in 2012 from a year earlier, an online pharmaceutical information provider said yesterday, pointing to their troubles stemming from the government’s push to slash drug prices and its sweeping crackdown on unfair trade practices.

The combined sales of the five drug makers jumped 6 percent on-year to 3.85 trillion w...