If you are researching a glutathione injection in Korea, you will run into terms like "whitening drip," "glutathione IV" and the Korean nickname 백옥주사. Before you book one, it helps to know what glutathione injections are actually licensed for in Korea, because the approved uses are not what those names suggest.
We searched the product database of Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), called 의약품안전나라 (nedrug.mfds.go.kr), on September 14, 2026. We ran the search under several Korean spellings, opened every injection entry, and copied its approved indications (효능효과) word for word.
The short answer
| Question | What the MFDS database showed (September 14, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Are glutathione injections licensed in Korea? | Yes. We found 38 injection entries, all manufactured in Korea and all classed as prescription-only medicines (전문의약품). Five are labeled for export (수출용). |
| What are they approved for? | 37 entries: prevention of nerve disorders caused by cisplatin or similar chemotherapy. 1 entry (100 mg): drug poisoning, and improving liver function in chronic liver disease. |
| Does any injection list skin whitening? | No. None of the 38 lists whitening, brightening, pigmentation or melasma among its indications. |
| Is 백옥주사 a product name? | No. A product-name search for 백옥 returns no results. It is a nickname. |
| Which Korean spelling should you search? | 글루타티온. The spelling 글루타치온 returns only 6 entries, and none of them is an injection. |
Why the spelling you search matters
Korean has two common ways to write glutathione: 글루타치온 and 글루타티온. They differ by one syllable, and the database treats them as different words. This is the first trap to avoid when you look up glutathione in Korea.
A product-name (제품명) search for 글루타치온 returns six entries: three tablets, two of them export-only, and three raw-material registrations used to make medicines. There is no injection in the list. If you stopped here, you might conclude that Korea has no licensed glutathione injection at all.
The same search with 글루타티온 returns 71 entries. The first page shows only tablets and a raw material, because the list starts with the newest approvals. The injections come later.
Other searches we ran on the same day, with the number of entries each returned:
- Product name 글루타티온주 ("glutathione injection"): 5, all injections. The other spelling, 글루타치온주: no results.
- Product name 타치온: 16, including 5 injections.
- Main ingredient (주원료명1) 글루타티온: 70, including all 38 injections.
- Main ingredient 글루타치온: 5, none of them injections (two export tablets, two export combination soft capsules, and an irrigation solution used in eye surgery).
- English terms (Glutathione, GSH) and the nicknames 백옥 and 신데렐라: no results.
Combining the product-name and ingredient searches gave 79 unique entries: 38 injections, 34 tablets or capsules, 4 raw-material registrations, 2 export combination capsules and 1 eye-surgery irrigation solution. We opened all 79.
38 injection entries, two sets of approved uses
Filtering the 글루타티온 search to prescription-only medicines (전문의약품) leaves exactly 38 entries, and every one of them is an injection: each product name contains 주 or 주사, the Korean word for injection. Reading all 38 entries:
- All 38 are manufactured in Korea (제조). None is imported.
- Five carry 수출용 (for export) in their product names.
- Strength per vial: one entry of 100 mg, 21 entries of 600 mg and 16 entries of 1,200 mg.
- Approval dates run from July 13, 2012 to November 15, 2021.
- Production: 21 of the 38 entries report production figures (생산실적) for 2025.
Here is the full list, grouped by company, so you can match the name on a vial or box. Dates are shown the way the database shows them (year-month-day).
| Company (업체명) | Entries: product name, glutathione per vial, approval date |
|---|---|
| 대한뉴팜(주) | 루치온주, 600 mg, 2012-07-13; 루치온주1200mg, 1,200 mg, 2014-10-22 |
| (주)펜믹스 | 펜티온주600mg, 600 mg, 2014-01-17; 펜티온주1200mg, 1,200 mg, 2014-11-21 |
| (주)비씨월드제약 | 구치온주600밀리그램, 600 mg, 2014-02-05; 구치온주1200밀리그램, 1,200 mg, 2015-08-31 |
| 알리코제약(주) | 글루치온주, 600 mg, 2014-02-07 |
| 광동제약(주) | 화이치온주, 600 mg, 2014-02-13 |
| (주)넥스팜코리아 | 바이온주, 600 mg, 2014-04-24 |
| (주)휴온스 | 비치라이트주, 600 mg, 2014-09-30 |
| 건일제약(주) | 글루타온주1200mg, 1,200 mg, 2014-11-21 |
| (주)녹십자웰빙 | 지씨타치온주600mg, 600 mg, 2014-12-31; 지씨타치온주1200mg, 1,200 mg, 2015-08-31 |
| 익수제약(주) | 에스치온주, 600 mg, 2015-02-24 |
| 동광제약(주) | 디톡시온주, 600 mg, 2015-06-29; 디톡시온주1200mg, 1,200 mg, 2015-11-25 |
| (주)휴메딕스 | 휴메딕스글루타티온주1,200밀리그램(수출용), 1,200 mg, 2016-12-28; 휴메딕스글루타티온주600mg(수출용), 600 mg, 2016-12-30 |
| (주)마더스제약 | 라이트타치온주1200밀리그램, 1,200 mg, 2017-01-24 |
| (주)테라젠이텍스 | 글루타시드주, 600 mg, 2017-02-17; 글루타시드주1200mg, 1,200 mg, 2017-02-17 |
| (주)유영제약 | 하이치온주, 600 mg, 2017-06-14 |
| (주)메디톡스 | 메디톡스글루타주, 600 mg, 2017-09-07 |
| 신풍제약(주) | 하야론주, 600 mg, 2017-11-01; 하야론주1200밀리그램, 1,200 mg, 2017-11-01 |
| 한국유니온제약(주) | 유니온글루타티온주1200mg(수출용), 1,200 mg, 2017-12-12; 유니온글루타티온주600mg(수출용), 600 mg, 2017-12-12 |
| 동아에스티(주) | 타치온주사(바이알), 100 mg, 2017-12-14 |
| 한올바이오파마(주) | 파인타치온주600mg, 600 mg, 2017-12-22 |
| (주)동구바이오제약 | 글루1200주, 1,200 mg, 2017-12-22 |
| (주)에이프로젠바이오로직스 | 에이프로젠글루타티온주1200mg, 1,200 mg, 2018-11-20; 글루타넥스주600mg, 600 mg, 2019-05-10 |
| 대원제약(주) | 지티온주1200밀리그램(수출용), 1,200 mg, 2020-03-16 |
| 현대약품(주) | 루치포스주600밀리그램, 600 mg, 2020-12-10 |
| (주)옵투스제약 | 케이치온주1200밀리그램, 1,200 mg, 2021-06-22; 케이치온주600밀리그램, 600 mg, 2021-06-22 |
| 건일바이오팜주식회사 | 건티온주1200밀리그램, 1,200 mg, 2021-11-15; 건티온주600밀리그램, 600 mg, 2021-11-15 |
In the database, the product names above also carry the ingredient in brackets, such as (글루타티온(환원형)), reduced glutathione. We shortened them to fit.
37 entries: preventing nerve disorders from cisplatin chemotherapy
Thirty-seven of the 38 entries carry the same single indication:
시스플라틴 또는 유사계열 화학요법에 의한 신경성질환의 예방
In English: prevention of neurological disorders caused by cisplatin or similar chemotherapy. MFDS's own patient manual, covered below, describes cisplatin as an anticancer drug. The dosage section (용법용량) of these entries describes 600 to 1,200 mg a day in severe cases, and 300 to 600 mg a day for treatment over several days or in mild cases, given by intramuscular injection or intravenous drip (점적 정맥 주사).
1 entry: drug poisoning and chronic liver disease
The only injection entry with different indications is 타치온주사(바이알), a 100 mg vial from 동아에스티 (Dong-A ST), approved on December 14, 2017. Its indications read:
1. 약물중독
2. 만성 간질환에서의 간기능의 개선
That is: drug poisoning, and improvement of liver function in chronic liver disease. The dosage section describes 100 to 200 mg once a day, dissolved in water for injection, given into a muscle or a vein, and adjusted for age and symptoms. It is also the only one of the 38 whose product class is 해독제 (antidote). The other 37 are classed as 따로 분류되지 않는 대사성 의약품, metabolic drugs not classified elsewhere.
Labels change over time. This entry's change history (변경이력) shows that the first electronic version, dated December 15, 2017, read "약물중독, 알코올중독" (drug poisoning, alcohol poisoning) in item 1. The version dated December 25, 2022 dropped 알코올중독. So read the current entry rather than an old article or a screenshot someone shared.
No injection approval mentions whitening
We searched the indications, dosage and precautions text of all 79 entries for 미백 (whitening), 피부 (skin), 색소 (pigment), 기미 (melasma), 멜라닌 (melanin) and similar terms. None of the 38 injection entries contains any of them.
Exactly one entry in the whole result set lists 미백: 화이트녹스정(글루타티온(환원형))(수출용), approved on July 3, 2019. Its indications read "미백, 비만, 간 기능 향상으로 인한 해독, 면역 기능 증진, 만성 피로 증후군": whitening, obesity, detoxification through improved liver function, improved immune function, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Two details matter:
- It is a tablet, not an injection.
- Its product name carries 수출용, which marks entries licensed for export.
The other 33 glutathione tablet and capsule entries list 약물중독 (drug poisoning), and six of them add 자가중독 (autointoxication). A product name is not an indication, either. The tablet 화이트티온정, whose name starts with the word "white" written in Korean, lists only 약물중독.
What the database cannot tell you matters just as much:
- It does not show which product is in a given drip. An MFDS license shows that a product exists and what it is approved for. It is not proof that a particular clinic uses that product.
- It does not record how clinics use a product. If a clinic offers a glutathione drip for skin tone, that purpose does not appear among the approved indications of any injection entry we found.
- It does not tell you whether a treatment suits you. That question belongs to a licensed physician who knows your health history.
백옥주사 and other nicknames
A May 15, 2018 report in Dailypharm, a Korean pharmacy trade newspaper, described glutathione as the drug known by the nickname 백옥주사, which roughly means "white jade injection."
Nicknames are not product names. A product-name search for 백옥 in the MFDS database returns no results. So does 신데렐라, from 신데렐라주사 ("Cinderella injection"), another name used on menus. A nickname does not tell you the ingredient, the manufacturer, the strength, or whether a product is licensed at all. The product name printed on the vial does.
What MFDS tells patients about glutathione injections
MFDS publishes a short safe-use manual for glutathione injections on the same site. In summary, it says:
- Glutathione injections may be given to patients only under a doctor's prescription and direction (의사의 처방과 지도에 의해서만), and they are prescription-only medicines (전문의약품).
- The approved uses are improving liver function in drug or alcohol poisoning and in chronic liver disease, at 100 to 200 mg once a day, and preventing nerve disorders that can occur when cancer patients receive anticancer drugs such as cisplatin, at 600 to 1,200 mg once a day into a muscle or a vein.
- Given into a vein, the injection should go in a little at a time, not all at once. Given into a muscle, the sides should be alternated so the same spot is not used again.
- Side effects to watch for include anaphylaxis-like reactions, in which the face turns pale and blood pressure drops; hypersensitivity reactions with a rash over the whole body; and, rarely, digestive symptoms such as nausea or vomiting. If symptoms appear, the manual tells patients to visit a medical institution right away and to report the reaction to the Korea Institute of Drug Safety and Risk Management (한국의약품안전관리원).
One difference is worth noticing. The manual still mentions alcohol poisoning, while the current entry for the 100 mg product no longer does. When the two differ, the product entry is the more specific record for that product.
Who can give you a glutathione injection in Korea
Korea's Medical Service Act (의료법), in the version in force since September 11, 2026, sets the basic rules:
- Article 27(1) says no one who is not a medical professional may perform medical acts, and medical professionals may not go beyond what their license covers. It lists narrow exceptions, such as people with foreign medical licenses staying in Korea for a period, and students of medicine, dentistry, Korean medicine or nursing, within limits set by ministry rules.
- Article 2(1) defines medical professionals (의료인) as doctors, dentists, Korean medicine doctors, midwives and nurses licensed by the Minister of Health and Welfare.
- Article 4(5) requires the head of a medical institution to have people who perform medical acts wear name tags, so patients can tell who they are. This covers medical professionals, nursing assistants (간호조무사), medical technicians and certain students. Exceptions include emergencies, operating rooms and times when the person is not performing medical acts.
Put that together with the MFDS manual, which says glutathione injections are given only under a doctor's prescription and direction. In practice, you can ask which doctor prescribed the drip, and you can read the name tag of the person who starts your IV.
Prices: ask for the posted amount
We do not publish prices, because they vary by clinic, product, dose and date. Korean law does help you get a clear number before you commit.
Article 45 of the Medical Service Act requires clinics to notify patients of the fees for services not covered by national health insurance (비급여), and it forbids charging more than the amount they notified or posted. Article 42-2 of the Act's Enforcement Rule, in force since June 12, 2026, requires a booklet listing non-covered items and prices at the reception desk. Clinics that run a website must also show that information online. Paragraph 2 of the same article adds a duty to explain the item and price directly before treatment, but only for non-covered items designated by a ministerial notice. We did not check whether glutathione drips are on that list.
If a drip is billed as a non-covered service, you can ask to see the posted price for that specific product and dose before it starts. For tax questions, see our guide to the medical VAT refund.
How to check a glutathione product yourself
- Before the drip, ask for the product name in Korean as printed on the vial or box, and the dose in milligrams.
- Open the MFDS product search at nedrug.mfds.go.kr and type the product name, or 글루타티온, into the 제품명 (product name) field. These links open the searches we ran: 글루타티온 (71 entries), 글루타티온 limited to prescription-only medicines (38 entries) and 글루타치온 (6 entries).
- Open the entry. Check 전문/일반 (every glutathione injection entry we found shows 전문의약품), whether 수출용 appears in the name, the company and the approval date.
- Read 효능효과 (approved indications) and 용법용량 (dosage) on the entry page, and compare them with what you were told the drip is for.
- If the purpose you were offered is not among the indications, ask the physician why it is recommended for you and what the risks are.
The database is in Korean, but product names, strengths and dates are easy to match against a photo of the label. Our guide to Korean botox brands walks through the same database for botulinum toxin products.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Are glutathione injections licensed in Korea?
Yes. On September 14, 2026, Korea's MFDS product database listed 38 glutathione injection entries, all prescription-only and manufactured in Korea. Thirty-seven are approved for preventing nerve disorders caused by cisplatin or similar chemotherapy. One 100 mg product is approved for drug poisoning and for improving liver function in chronic liver disease.
Q. Is glutathione IV approved for skin whitening in Korea?
None of the 38 injection entries we opened lists skin whitening, brightening, pigmentation or melasma among its indications. The only entry in our results that lists 미백 (whitening) is 화이트녹스정, an export-licensed tablet, not an injection.
Q. What is 백옥주사?
It is a nickname, roughly "white jade injection," that Korean trade press has linked to glutathione. It is not a product name: a product-name search for 백옥 in the MFDS database returns no results. Ask the clinic for the actual product name on the vial.
Q. Why did my MFDS search find no glutathione injections?
Most likely it was the spelling. A product-name search for 글루타치온 returns 6 entries and no injections, while 글루타티온 returns 71 entries, including all 38 injections. You can also search the main-ingredient field (주원료명1) with 글루타티온.
Q. Do I need a prescription for a glutathione drip in Korea?
MFDS says glutathione injections are prescription-only medicines that may be given only under a doctor's prescription and direction. Korea's Medical Service Act also bars anyone who is not a licensed medical professional from performing medical acts, apart from narrow exceptions.
Q. What should I ask before a glutathione drip in Korea?
Ask for the Korean product name, the dose in milligrams, the posted price, and who will give the injection. Then look the product up in the MFDS database and read its approved indications. Whether the drip is suitable for you is a question for a licensed physician.
Sources we checked
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, 의약품안전나라 product search (nedrug.mfds.go.kr), run on September 14, 2026. Product name (제품명): 글루타치온 (6 entries), 글루타티온 (71), 글루타티온 limited to 전문의약품 (38), 글루타치온주 (0), 글루타티온주 (5), 글루타티온주사 (0), 타치온 (16), 타치온주 (5), 타티온 (71), 루치온 (7), 치온 (43), 치온주 (15), 티온주 (10), 글루타 (108, including unrelated products such as glutamine), 글루타싸이온 (0), 글루타씨온 (0), Glutathione (0), GSH (0), 지에스에이치 (0), 백옥 (0), 신데렐라 (0). Main ingredient (주원료명1): 글루타티온 (70), 글루타티온(환원형) (70), 글루타치온 (5), 글루타치온(환원형) (4), Glutathione (0).
- All 79 unique entries, opened on the same day: indications (효능효과), dosage (용법용량), precautions, ingredients and production records, plus the indication change history of the injection entries. Entries pictured: 타치온주사(바이알), 루치온주1200mg and 화이트녹스정(수출용). We counted one 1988 export tablet entry (에바치온정) as a tablet even though its label text also contains a separate injection section.
- Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, glutathione injection safe-use manual (글루타티온 주사제 안전사용 매뉴얼), 의약품안전나라.
- Medical Service Act (의료법), Articles 2(1), 4(5), 27(1) and 45, version in force from September 11, 2026 (MST 283899), via law.go.kr.
- Enforcement Rule of the Medical Service Act (의료법 시행규칙), Article 42-2, version in force from June 12, 2026 (MST 286963), via law.go.kr.
- Dailypharm, report dated May 15, 2018, for the nickname 백옥주사.
Database entries change as products are approved, changed or withdrawn. For how we research, see our method.