Innovative drugs, too many secrets behind stellar prices

The new treatments cost tens of thousands of euros. But citizens cannot know how much taxes go to research and how much to marketing and managers.

16/06/2015 – I Diavoli – LINKSIESTA

We have entered a new era in healthcare. These are the words that Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin used to describe the phenomenon of the entry into the market of so-called innovative drugs. These are molecules to be used above all in the oncological field and for the eradication of theHepatitis C as well as for the care of Cystic fibrosis. These are medicines that can improve, lengthen or even save the lives of many patients.

Of course, as with all things, there is a downside. The costs of treatments that make use of these drugs often reach figures bordering on sustainability, indeed, given the data in hand, it is possible to say that if they were used for all potential patients, public health accounts would be seriously jeopardized.

These are some prices to make people understand the phenomenon:

– Kalydeco – Vertex  (Fibrosi cistica): 237.601,06* €

– Torisel – Pfizer (Oncologia): 52.000 €;

– Sovaldi – Gilead (eradicazione Epatite C): 37.000 €?

– Viekarix-Exviera – AbbVie (eradicazione Epatite C): 27.000 €?

– Daklinza – Bristol-Myers Squibb (eradicazione Epatite C)

– Olysio  – Janssen (eradicazione Epatite C): 30.000 €?

– Harvoni – Gilead (eradicazione Epatite C): 50.000 €?

* price for the supply of the Kalydeco specialty for 12 months. Resolution No. 168 Tuscan Estar

THEThe fact that most of the drugs to fight the Hepatitis C virus are indicated on the list is no coincidence. If we consider that there are about 435,000 people affected by the HCV virus, but that almost certainly there are at least as many who do not know they have contracted it, it is easy to understand the extent of the phenomenon. Let's talk about digits with 10 zeros!

But why are these drugs so expensive? Let's take Sovaldi for example. There Gilead in 2012 it acquired for 11.2 billion euros from Pharmasset, the company that developed the molecule, but the financial statements of the same show that the research and development costs incurred in the years in which Sovaldi was developed amounted to 176 7 million dollars, of which just over 62 related to the super-drug.

Silvio Garattini director of the Mario Negri institute: «The cost of research, even if much emphasized, represents only about 9% of the industrial turnover; while what greatly affects the price of drugs are promotion and advertising»

One of the most authoritative people in Italy in the pharmacological field, Silvio Garattini director of the research institute Mario Negri of Milan, recently declared that «The cost of research, even if much emphasized, represents only about 9% of the industrial turnover; while what has a significant impact on the price of drugs are promotion and advertising».

For completeness of information, we also report the statement of the president of Pharma industry Massimo Scaccabarozzi who declared that: "Today, a new drug requires over 2 billion investments, 10 years to develop it and the patent is used only for the following 8-9 years, while only one molecule out of 10,000 reaches the market". And speaking of marketing authorization, it should be emphasized that the contracts signed by AIFA with the pharmaceutical companies are all subject to a confidentiality clause. In essence, some "details" of the contract are not known, such as the price and/or discounts that are applicable based on the volume of purchase or therapeutic adherence by patients (this explains the question marks after the prices shown above) .

Why do pharmaceutical companies claim confidentiality on this type of contract? Isn't it more correct that citizens know where their tax money is going to end up? 

But why do pharmaceutical companies claim confidentiality on this type of contract? Isn't it more correct that citizens know where their tax money is going to end up? That citizens know that part of their money is used to pay the millionaire salaries of some CEOs? It is certainly the case with Lambert Andreotti (son of Giulio) who according to data from S&P Capital, published by Sole 24 Ore, is the highest paid Italian manager abroad (22 million euros) as executive chairman of the Bristol-Meyer Squibb.

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Over 11 wages of a worker to pay a manager