Genewel announced that its innovative pain-reducing drug delivery device, WELPASS, has successfully passed the Advanced Medical Technology Assessment conducted by the Korea Institute of Health and Social Affairs under the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The decision, made in September, officially confirms the product’s safety and effectiveness.

WELPASS is an advanced medical device designed to manage postoperative pain through sustained-release drug delivery technology. When a small amount of local anesthetic is mixed with a gel and applied to a surgical incision site, the anesthetic is gradually released over a 72-hour period, providing continuous pain relief.

A major advantage of WELPASS is its efficiency. It maintains effective pain control using only about one-eighth of the local anesthetic typically required with conventional pain-management methods. Once applied directly to the surgical site during an operation, no additional steps are needed—eliminating the need for external pain-management devices after surgery.

Genewel expects this approval to accelerate WELPASS adoption across clinical settings. Once the product is included in the National Health Insurance system next year, its range of applications is expected to expand significantly, driving broader use across a variety of surgical procedures.

Since its development in 2015, WELPASS has demonstrated strong pain-management efficacy in clinical trials conducted at Samsung Medical Center and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. In 2022, it was designated as a “New Medical Technology with Evaluation Deferral” and subsequently supplied to 154 leading hospitals across Korea, where its effectiveness was verified in real-world clinical practice.

Building on this milestone, Genewel is now preparing to expand WELPASS into global markets, including Asia and Europe. The company is currently forming partnerships with local firms and finalizing strategic cooperation plans to enter the Japanese and Indonesian markets.

“Through continued investment in clinical research, we aim to expand indications and strengthen our product portfolio, positioning WELPASS as Korea’s leading pain-management brand,” said Han Sang-Deok, CEO of Genewel. “We also plan to enhance our global competitiveness by obtaining European CE and U.S. FDA certifications.”