sábado, dezembro 23, 2006
Carta à Merck sobre EAP do MK-518
Continuamos à espera de alguma acção da MSD Portugal e da Eurotrials para iniciarem o programa de acesso alargado do MK-518 nos hospitais portugueses. Há um mês, os nossos vizinhos europeus começaram o programa mas nós por cá népia...
Carta do ECAB à Merck Internacional:
Dr. Jeffrey L. Sturchio
Vice President, External Affairs
Merck & Co., Inc. / WS2A-55
One Merck Drive
Whitehouse Station,
NJ 08889-0100
USA
Brussels, December 23, 2006
Dear Jeff,
We would like to communicate our profound discontent caused by the MK-0518 price set for France’s ATU system and express our grave concern about the future price strategy in Europe for this drug.
As you know, the ATU (Temporary Authorisation of Use) is required by the French public health system to make experimental drugs available to patients in need.
Merck has started the Expanded Access Program (EAP) for its innovative integrase inhibitor MK-0518, and is therefore using this ATU system in France. We learned that your company is currently charging the French public health system 50€ per day and per patient. We find this price absolutely incomprehensible and outrageous. Recent data from previously approved drugs demonstrate a close association between the ATU price charged and the final commercial price in France and subsequently in other European countries.
Should the figure of 50€ per patient/day serve as guidance for negotiating prices in Europe, the drug will very likely not be reimbursed in a number of countries and regions across the continent. It will also raise the cost of treating HIV significantly and present an additional burden to public health budgets. This is not acceptable for the European HIV Community.
We therefore kindly but firmly ask you to reach out to community groups, start an immediate dialogue and revoke your apparent price strategy in the best interest of all stakeholders.
We also encourage you to reduce the price for MK-0518 set for the French ATU system and to confirm that this price will not be in line with the final commercial price.
We expect to hear from you soon, otherwise we might have to go public on this issue which causes a lot of anger within the community in many EU countries.
European Community Advisory Board (ECAB)
European AIDS Treatment Group
