Amsterdam 2015
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| Abstract #2187 - Costing the epidemic | ||||
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Session: 9.4: Costing the epidemic (Symposium) on Wednesday @ 11.30-13.00 in 202 Chaired by Anne Cockroft, Alexander Pastoors Authors: Presenting Author: Mrs Celine Grillon - Médecins du Monde, France |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: Exorbitant price of new hepatitis C (HCV) treatment result in the rationing of people living with HCV who can benefit from it and prevent limitation of new infections. | ||||
| Method / Issue: The arrival of new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) has brought with it the chance to improve cure of hepatitis C and eradicate the virus. Sofosbuvir is the current backbone of DAA regimen. In France it costs €41,000 for a 12-weeks cure while production cost is estimated to be 101 dollars. Such price is a direct consequence of Gilead’s monopoly position as patent owner. Due to this price limited number of patient can benefit from treatment which impedes a Treatment as prevention approach. While national guidelines recommand to treat people living with HIV/HCV coinfection disregarding fibrosis stage, budgetary pressure leads to discrimination in terms of access to treatment for the most vulnerable populations. | ||||
| Results / Comments: For months, civil society organisations including MdM have been increasingly advocating on new treatment’s price-related challenges. Our advocacy focuses on the use of compulsory licences, a World Trade Organization rule that allow States to overcome patent barriers in order to meet public health needs. The French government has refused to use this legal instrument, which would have allowed the production of cheaper generic versions of sofosbuvir. Médecins du Monde carried on advocacy efforts by filing an opposition to the sofosbuvir patent at the European Patent Office, considering the drug has been unduly patented. | ||||
| Discussion: This is the first time in Europe that a medical NGO uses this recourse in order to improve access to medicine. Through its action MdM has re-launched the national debate on drug price-setting, its transparency and abusive patenting. This route must be followed in order to guarantee access of all people living with HCV to most effective treatment and afford setting up policies that meet public health needs such as eradication of HCV. | ||||
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