Labs defend the price of drugs
25% reduction of drug prices in Greece, 6% discount rates to 16% from August in Germany … Across Europe, governments are spending on health to reduce their deficits. France is no exception. The government fell in April the rate of return of 200 drugs. He also announced a few days ago to further declines in commodity prices, in order to save 100 million euros by December.
If the crisis and its recent upheaval amplify the movement, several years ago that states seek to reduce the cost of their health system.In particular burden on drugs, a position that has represented France 18% of health spending in 2009, according to the latest data from the drug companies' Union (LEEM).
The means of action are diverse: reduction in reimbursements, the generic substitution of original drugs, lower price … Some treatments are even questioned. The British health authorities have announced their refusal to repay the Tyverb, treatment of GSK cons breast cancer. Too expensive – several thousand pounds – while Stretch the lifespan of patients only a few weeks, said the Nice, the body responsible for determining the reimbursement of medicines.In France, the Economic Committee for Health Products (CEPS) said it would not exceed 50,000 euros per year per patient for certain treatments against cancer.
Facing pressure from governments, laboratories are struggling to defend their margins and their ability to fund research. A common strategy is to seek approval of existing drugs for new indications …. And Roche has announced that its treatment Avastin, already used for colorectal cancer and breast cancer, could make significant progress in cancer of the ovary. If studies confirm, this new market could yield a revenue of an additional billion Swiss francs.
Lovenox, Sanofi accumulates the same success.Launched in 1987 for orthopedic surgeries, he has seen indications gradually expand its knee, to abdominal surgery, treatment of thrombosis veinales, etc.. In twenty-three years, the second drug from Sanofi-Aventis has been prescribed to 200 million patients worldwide.
The labs often winners
To fully optimize the lifecycle of a molecule, "laboratories accept a wide range of strategies, Delphine Le Louet complete, a financial analyst at Lombard Odier.Some build their sales teams to capitalize until the last moment of a drug before its patent expires and is severely challenged by generics.
Other practices include an attempt to demonstrate the beneficial effect of prolonged use of a drug or alter the chemical structure of a molecule into a new, a priori, more efficiently and with less impact secondary. This was done by substituting the AstraZeneca Inexium Mopral in a few years ago.
These methods, which allow labs to compensate for the lack of innovation, often boil down to a battle on price. Sometimes this policy entry "by the back door." "The marketing of a drug for an indication may be reduced one way of obtaining a relatively high price at first.This is often the case for cancer, where treatments are very expensive, "says Claude Allary, managing partner of consulting firm Bionest.
Whether a deliberate policy or simply a desire to make a drug available as quickly as possible, laboratories are often winners. The anticancer Tasigna, introduced as the successor of Glivec in the treatment of certain leukemias rare, is the proof. Novartis is the bill now 50,000 euros for a one year treatment.