Sergio Dompè expressed himself in these terms during a meeting on oncological research promoted by Nerviano Medical Sciences (Nms) and Farmindustria, "We don't have market problems, I must say unfortunately - Dompé points out - because diseases are not affected by crises, they do not strike, so the patients are always there". Rather, "our problem is to make spending compatible with what are the possibilities of a country which at the moment, as is the case in the rest of the world, has reduced its capacity". But on this front, together with France, Italy has the best system. Dompé then invited the institutions to reflect on the "crucial issue of competitive confrontation". According to the number one of Farmindustria, "we need to change the paradigm" and not let ourselves be tempted by the logic of saving. It's not always an advantage "to buy at 80 what I now pay 100. Because if by paying 100 there is an overall return in terms of employment levels, research, citizens' health, buying at 80 "will impoverish the country", he warns.
Again from this point of view, "Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is no longer a good measure of a nation's wealth – says Dompé – because it excludes so-called social protections", for example being protected against disease. Reiterating that "per capita pharmaceutical expenditure in Italy is lower than in the other main European countries", Dompé particularly highlights the peninsula's excellence in oncological research: "It is the leading clinical research area in Italy", he states, with Lombardy (Milan in the lead) as a reference model on a national scale. According to Dompè, the Italian pharmaceutical industry, which was also considered to be at a dead end, still boasts today a 53% of exports and over 200 drugs under development. Of these, 138 are in clinical trials, 40 are orphan drugs intended for the treatment of rare diseases, and 40% is represented by oncology drugs. In this regard, it was recalled that from 2000 to 2008 investments in research and development of anticancer drugs increased in Italy by 36%, and the number of employees grew by 16%. Furthermore, together with France, Italy is first among the major European countries for the survival of cancer patients.
Pharmacist33 – 16 March 2010 – Year 6, Number 47
