[Hepatitis C]  Italia launches ultimatum to Gilead to reduce prices.  Spain silent

• By  Cas Madrid ,  kaosenlared.net
• View Original

In Italy there are more than one million patients with chronic hepatitis C, 330,000 of them already have cirrhosis. 

And what about the patients and the Spanish state?

The Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) said: "We will not pay more than € 4,000 per treatment. 

If you. Do not accept our offer we produce the medicine ourselves. 

When it comes to lifesaving drugs, ethical principles should take precedence over economic incentives and medications should be considered a universal right. " 
We must applaud the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) by the  ultimatum that he gave Gilead to reduce prices in renewing the supply of Sovaldi and Harvoni for the treatment of hepatitis C,  and that comes from both political as doctors and patients. 

Our writing has contacted  Giulia Grillo, Anna Miotto, Marisa Nicchi, Roberta and Ivan Gardini  who have supported the action by  AIFA.  Here are their testimonies.

Giulia Grillo (moviento 5 Star) 

Finally! After two years of pressure from us with questions to the committee and during question time in Parliament something happened. 

At this point, however, one wonders why it has not occurred before this step we are talking about today. 

We are not talking today of what would have happened if he had broken the patent. AIFA could have made the same decision last June. 

That said, we are the first supporters of the position expressed by Melazzini (general director of AIFA), provided the price for treatment is 4,000 € gross, and otherwise proceed immediately to give the mandate to the pharmaceutical plant military Florence to produce the drug. 

The goal should then be the beginning of a national plan to eradicate the disease. 

There were so many mechanisms, the AIFA on the one hand, and the Ministry of Health, on the other, they could have resorted to house Gilead! 

Because, remember,  in Italy , we have spent  € 2,000 million for the treatment of 50,000 patients , and this is ridiculous. 

It is true that AIFA is an independent agency, but the minister Lorenzin could do much more, such as investigating the possible use of the clause of national emergency for public health reasons, however, as was claimed last October in an interrogation the commission of former undersecretary of Health, Vito de Filippo. 

From this point of view, the Ministry should have assessed long recourse to the TRIPS (TRIPS) to weigh, on the one hand, "the achievable savings and other economic risks arising from any appeal by Gilead".

Anna Margherita Miotto (Democratic Party) : 

This is a very interesting initiative, now we need to continue along this path with others have sponsored a motion passed in Parliament. 

If this determination is the right, even the most ambitious goals can be achieved. Surely the market presence of various effective for hepatitis C drugs may play an important role for low costs. 

So I think just the one proposed by the Director Melazzini price, spend more would be truly incomprehensible. 

At this time, and the lowest prices, the next step must be finally launch a plan to eradicate this disease.

Marisa Nicchi (Si) : 

"This is a very good news, the result of a parliamentary battle and a social struggle that we carry out for some time. 

Finally, if it actually translate into lower prices and is not just an announcement by AIFA, the right to health should take precedence over economic interests. 

Even, I say well, my hope is that this may be the way to go for all innovative medicines sky-high prices, not only for hepatitis C. At this point, if you could get these prices should start talking a plan for the eradication of the disease.

Iván Gardini  (Italian Patient Organization Hepatitis C): 

"This proposal AIFA is a type of trading that I really like. well I'll tell you, we had suggested some time ago to the agency taking into account what has happened in Australia. 

What is 'really important' in this matter it is to ask the company also offering a good price, but leaving it very clear, treatment for all patients, thus eliminating the barriers that exist today. 

This way, you can provide treatment to all patients, and at the same time, companies may continue to benefit from the sales. 

As for the increase in treatment centers, I believe and hope that this time there is already an agreement with the Regions, as then will they, not AIFA, which have to make this possible. 

In short, we encourage the regulatory body. 

That said, only if we be outraged, as I said, they having lower prices not all barriers were removed to access treatment.

Roberta Chersevani  (National Federation Organization of Physicians and Surgeons and Dentists): 

"I welcome the position of CEO Malazzini on prices of medicines for hepatitis C because it corrects the inequity of access to medical care is ethically intolerable violates our Constitution and undermines the relationship between doctor and patient. 

In Italy there are more than one million patients with chronic hepatitis C, 330,000 of them already have cirrhosis.

In  Health and Drugs