Two news anchors—a man and a woman—sat in a studio, delivering the evening news live.
"Good evening, everyone. This is News 9.Our top story tonight concerns Elixir, the newly approved drug developed by Luktic."
"It has been two weeks since Elixir began being used in clinical settings.While that may sound like a short time, the Korean medical field has undergone nothing short of a seismic transformation.Reporter Lee Cheol-min brings us the story."
The screen switched, and footage from hospitals across the country began to play.
On-screen was a young boy, frighteningly thin.
"This boy was diagnosed with leukemia last month.His prognosis was extremely poor, and he was given a terminal diagnosis.However, he recently began treatment using Luktic's new drug, Elixir."
The screen changed again.
Now the boy was lying in a hospital bed, smiling brightly, his expression far healthier than before.
"Astonishingly, immediately after receiving Elixir, the symptoms of leukemia regressed rapidly—to the point where modern medicine can now treat the condition.The attending physician has stated that recovery is now realistically possible."
Footage of a doctor in a white coat played.
"This is truly unbelievable.When this patient was first diagnosed, the leukemia had already progressed to a terminal stage where nothing could be done.But the moment Elixir was administered, the disease reversed to an early-stage condition.At his current state, the chances of recovery are extremely high.I will do everything in my power to help him return to society in good health."
The camera returned to the boy, smiling brightly.
"I was really scared because I thought I was going to die soon.But now I'm okay.They said I could be cured thanks to Elixir made by CEO Hyun Si-woo of Luktic.Thank you so much, CEO Hyun Si-woo!When I finish treatment and go back to elementary school, I'll study hard and try to become a great person like you!"
The screen shifted to blue graphics filled with charts and graphs.
"These are statistics on deaths caused by severe illnesses over the past two weeks.Compared to the same period last year, fatalities have dropped by an astonishing 78%.Medical experts unanimously describe this as a near-miracle."
"Is all of this really due to Luktic's new drug?"
"Yes.Experts say that Luktic's new drugs have advanced humanity's healthcare system by an entire step.This will not only transform Korea's medical landscape, but the global one as well."
President Kim Sang-hyun was watching the broadcast with his aides.
It was a bit late—9 p.m.
"Mr. President, your approval rating is climbing rapidly.Luktic's new drugs have exceeded all expectations and captivated the public.The fact that the government's role in the fast approval process was highlighted at the press conference two weeks ago seems to have played a major role."
Over the past two weeks, the Kim Sang-hyun administration's approval rating had surged by 17%.
From an unstable 38% to a solid 55%—a dramatic turnaround.
The President smiled warmly.
"Heh.So many citizens are benefiting from an outstanding new drug—how could I view this merely in terms of approval ratings?Minister of Health and Welfare, are the effects really that extraordinary?"
The minister bowed his head respectfully, smiling.
"Yes, Mr. President.As reported, deaths from severe illnesses have dropped by 78% compared to the same period last year.Because Elixir has such broad efficacy, we expect it to be effective not only for diseases confirmed during clinical trials, but also for many others."
"So its potential applications are virtually limitless?"
"That's correct, Mr. President."
"And news of a hair-loss treatment will be announced soon as well, correct?The public will be overjoyed again. Hahaha."
"Yes, Mr. President.This time, the reaction may be even louder—though in a very different way from Elixir."
The President smiled with satisfaction.
"CEO Hyun Si-woo and Luktic…They're truly a national treasure."
The aides around him nodded in agreement.
"That's right, Mr. President."
"Exactly."
"Historically, a single genius can feed millions—tens of millions.And such a remarkable individual has appeared in Korea.Our government must support him with everything we have.Everyone here, please actively support CEO Hyun Si-woo's work."
"Yes, Mr. President."
"Of course, Mr. President."
The President, the minister, and all the aides were smiling.
Not long ago, this administration's approval ratings had been so unstable that the next election seemed uncertain.Now, they were rebounding at a staggering pace.
"Howard! You need to see this!"
"Huh? What is it—what happened?"
Howard, head of Target's Overseas Product Planning Team, lifted his disheveled head from his desk, where he had collapsed after working through the night.
"This is bad.Something's happened that could seriously affect our project!"
"What?!"
Howard hurried over to where his colleague was calling him—the staff lounge, where a small television was playing.
[The National Pharmaceutical Alliance has stated that Luktic's new drugs have not yet been sufficiently verified in terms of safety,and that sales in the United States should only be permitted after independent FDA-led clinical trials.]
The news anchor spoke in a flat tone.
All of Howard's fatigue vanished in an instant.
"W-What the hell is this?!The National Pharmaceutical Alliance? Since when did a group like that exist?"
"I looked it up earlier—it seems they were hastily formed just yesterday."
Howard immediately pulled out his smartphone and searched for details.
"…Damn it.WhiteLily, Roche, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Novartis…Every major pharmaceutical giant is in this alliance?!"
"Yeah.Despite the name, it's not just American companies—European Big Pharma with U.S. branches are all in."
Howard clenched his teeth.
"Damn it… I expected resistance from existing pharma companies, but I didn't think they'd move this fast—or this aggressively!"
It was a serious setback.
The companies listed under the National Pharmaceutical Alliance were all Big Pharma giants—each one powerful enough to dominate the industry on its own.
United, their lobbying power would be unrivaled.
If their lobbying succeeded in pressuring the FDA to reject all Korean clinical trial data,and to conduct a full, uncompromising review from scratch—
then Elixir and the Skin Regeneration Agent could be stuck waiting over ten years for approval.
And if that happened, approvals in third countries would also be jeopardized.
The FDA was the most authoritative regulatory body in the world.
If the FDA refused to recognize Korea's approval data,most countries would follow suit—demanding their own independent review and disregarding Korea's results entirely.
"Damn it… I never thought they'd respond this quickly."
"Howard, this isn't like you.Isn't this exactly what we should've expected?If Luktic's drugs are approved and imported worldwide, their livelihoods are at stake."
"…True, but still—"
"Howard, this isn't the time to be discouraged.We need to find a countermeasure—now."
Howard snapped back to focus.
This was no time to waste.
He immediately contacted CEO Hyun Si-woo in Korea.
Chairman White of WhiteLily was wearing a sly, satisfied grin.
"Hehehe… everything is going smoothly.To think that Big Pharma—normally at each other's throats—would unite this easily.It's something I never would've imagined."
The directors standing before him looked relieved, yet uneasy.
"That only proves how great a threat Luktic's new drugs pose to the global pharmaceutical industry."
White nodded.
"Indeed.First, we keep them tied up in the FDA approval process for ten years.In the meantime, we reverse-engineer their technology—or steal it."
"We're investigating CEO Hyun Si-woo and co-founder Kim Dong-sik.Each company's Korean branch is using every means available to gather information on Luktic's internal operations.If we can delay approval for ten years, that will be more than enough time."
The CTO spoke up.
"I really am curious…What kind of technology could possibly produce drugs like these?"
A cough echoed through the room.
Realizing he had spoken too admiringly, the CTO stepped back and bowed awkwardly.
White waved the tension away.
"Make no mistake—Luktic's drugs are extraordinary.But in the end, they're just a startup from the fringes of the pharmaceutical world.If Big Pharma joins forces, how could they possibly withstand us?"
His expression was full of confidence.
I had just finished a call with Howard.
It was urgent enough that he had even hired a simultaneous interpreter.
The situation I had vaguely feared had finally become reality.
Big Pharma—led by U.S. and global pharmaceutical giants—had formed an alliance called the National Pharmaceutical Alliance to block Luktic's drugs.
CTO Kang Joo-tae frowned deeply.
"…This is troublesome, CEO.Still, it's not surprising.Even in Korea, Shinjeon Pharmaceutical tried to sabotage us.The global market wouldn't be any different."
He was right.
Six months ago, Shinjeon Group had launched a full-scale assault to crush us.
But the enemies we faced now were on an entirely different level.
If Shinjeon Group was a local bully within Korea,these Big Pharma companies were world-dominating multinational giants.
Each one rivaled—or surpassed—Daesung Group in scale.
Still, shrinking back in fear was never an option.
To be honest, when Shinjeon attacked us,the gap between a fledgling startup like Luktic and a conglomerate like Shinjeonwas even greater than the gap between today's Luktic and Big Pharma.
Yet we survived.
In other words, we had already fought—and won—a David versus Goliath battle.
This time, facing an alliance of giants,I intended to throw my stone once again.
From everything I had experienced in Korea, I had learned one thing:
No matter how powerful corporate lobbying may be,it can never surpass the will of political power.
And lobbying itself exists precisely to manipulate that political power.
In a democracy, the greatest force that moves political poweris public opinion—the will of the voters.
And the U.S. midterm elections were approaching.
Elixir's overwhelming effectiveness against severe illnesseswas already being proven in real time in Korea.
The United States undoubtedly had countless citizenswith family or friends suffering from diseases that modern medicine could not cure.
What would happen if the American public learnedthat the introduction of a proven, life-saving drugwas being delayed due to the greed-driven lobbying of Big Pharma?
With the midterms approaching,every politician—from the President to senators and representatives—would be hypersensitive to public sentiment.
This might actually be a fight worth taking.