This is a slightly sad interview, but it is closely related to every Chinese! However, before starting this interview, please let me introduce the background of the story to you: Do you know? There are nearly 100,000 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in China, and about 13,000 new patients are added each year. There is a lack of data statistics on patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors, but the annual incidence rate is about 1/100,000-2/100,000, which is higher than the former. These patients who were once diagnosed with terminal illnesses have seen hope for the continuation of life because of the drug Gleevec successfully developed by Novartis in Switzerland. But a new problem has arisen. In China, the cost of taking this drug for one month is 23,500 yuan. Although Novartis has formulated corresponding preferential measures, the cost of 72,000 yuan a year is still a huge burden for most patients. However, there are only a handful of provinces that have included Gleevec in the medical insurance reimbursement list, and the vast majority of patients cannot enjoy any help. The good news is that the price of the Indian generic "Gleevec" is only a few hundred yuan, and the highest is no more than a thousand yuan. But in China, this drug is officially determined to be a "fake drug", and patients cannot legally purchase it. They can only buy it from overseas at the risk of buying "fake drugs". We can't help but ask: Why is the price of Novartis' Gleevec so hard, and the ice has never melted; why doesn't China learn from India and force Novartis to implement patent licensing to enable Chinese pharmaceutical companies to imitate; the vast majority of provinces in China have not included this drug in the medical insurance list, what are the obstacles, and how difficult is it for medical insurance to pay? When human lives are at stake, all kinds of seemingly passable paths to save lives are all set up with many obstacles. The desperate eyes of the patients standing on the other side of the road have been staring into the distance. Why are we like this, why can India be like that...
With all kinds of questions, let's take a look at the following interview: A patient with gastrointestinal stromal tumor sat in front of the author. He said several times on the Internet that he really wanted to go to India. That country has never had an inexplicable yearning for him like it does now. Because he could no longer afford the annual cost of more than 70,000 yuan for Novartis' Gleevec in Switzerland, he could only look for Indian generic drugs. For two months, he asked all the people around him who might have a connection with India, even if they had a few connections, whether they could buy regular generic drugs from India for him, but he failed and could not find anyone. The more you can't get it, the more you yearn for it. India has become a special word in his mind, with a strange emotional color. Global Times: Can Gleevec really save lives? A: Gleevec is a molecular targeted therapy drug that can directly target pathogenic genes at the molecular level. It was the Swiss company Novartis that successfully developed Gleevec. The 10-year survival rate of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia has increased from less than 50% to 90%. It has replaced bone marrow transplantation as the first treatment option. Gleevec is also effective at 67% for gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Global Times: How expensive is Gleevec? A: In order to reduce the recurrence of the disease, patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors must take medication for life. Since Novartis' Gleevec was first introduced to China in 2001, the price has always been 23,500 yuan per box, and one box is a monthly dose. Novartis has never lowered the price. It only implemented relevant discounts such as buy three get nine free in China in 2006 based on the patient's financial ability, but the patient's annual financial burden still exceeds 70,000, which has drained the wealth of many Chinese people. Global Times: How much does Gleevec cost in other countries? A: First of all, I want to tell you that the price of Gleevec in China is the highest in the world. I don't have actual data on the situation abroad, but according to media reports, the price of Gleevec in Hong Kong, China is 17,000, in the United States it is 13,600, in Australia it is about 10,000, in Japan it is 16,000, and in South Korea it is about 3,000 yuan, all in RMB. However, considering the medical insurance policies of various countries, the burden on patients is actually very small. For example, the price per box for Australian medical insurance residents is less than 200 yuan. Global Times: Why is this drug the most expensive in the world in China? Answer: This question is too difficult to answer and beyond my ability. However, there is information showing that many patented drugs produced by multinational companies often become the most expensive drugs in the world when they come to China. There are vampires everywhere in the chain of price transmission, and they have no interest if the price is low. For example, in the circulation link, it is reported that foreign drugs must be "exploited" by at least three layers of distributors before they reach Chinese hospitals. Each layer adds an average price increase of 5%-7%, and the hospital adds another 10%-15%... Global Times: How cheap are Indian drugs? How effective are they? Answer: Through various online channels, you can basically get them for 1,000 yuan. However, Lu Yong, who was arrested recently, negotiated directly with the Indian pharmaceutical company and managed to reduce the price of the drug to 200 yuan per box through group purchases, which shows that the cost of the drug itself is very low. In Chinese hospitals, doctors flatly refuse to recommend Indian drugs to patients. However, some friends who specialize in medicine told me that there is no problem with the efficacy of Indian generic drugs, and it is not difficult to make generic drugs. After Lu Yong switched to Indian drugs, he was continuously monitored and found that his body indicators were almost the same as Novartis' drugs. The Korean Leukemia Association conducted a comparative test on the two types of Gleevec from India and Switzerland, and the results showed that the similarity of the drug properties was 99.9%. With low prices and almost the same efficacy, Indian generic drugs have become the savior of Chinese patients.
Global Times: Why can't China buy Indian drugs? Answer: my country strictly adheres to the protection of patent rights and does not allow domestic pharmaceutical companies to produce generic drugs. In addition, according to my country's "Drug Administration Law", imported drugs need to undergo clinical monitoring and obtain a drug import registration certificate number to be genuine drugs. Although they are legally produced and sold in India, they have not been approved for sale by my country's drug regulatory authorities, so they can also be regarded as "fake drugs." Therefore, Indian generic drugs are not available in Chinese pharmacies. Global Times: So can we only go to India to buy drugs? Answer: This is the only way to think of without money. In fact, it is very difficult for ordinary patients to buy drugs in India. The procedures are very complicated. First of all, you must use English to contact Indian pharmaceutical companies. You have to fill out various forms and documents, and there are also payment issues. Therefore, you can often see many netizens anxiously asking again and again on forums and QQ groups, how to buy Indian drugs, or who can give some drugs to transfer. Although some people with connections in India purchase drugs for patients through Taobao or other channels, they have also been denied by the authorities. Several people have been arrested in recent years... Global Times: Why is this drug legal in India? (I have to interject that when talking about this question, the patient suddenly became very excited and even wanted to grab the author's hand...) Answer: India is really a moral country. By the way, let's go back to this question. The core answer is that India has implemented compulsory patent licensing: when a state of emergency occurs in the country or for the public interest, the government can grant and license other companies to use patented drugs without the consent of the patent owner. Therefore, Indian pharmaceutical companies can imitate. India's practice has caused great dissatisfaction among Western pharmaceutical companies, but the Indian government has withstood strong pressure and rejected the lawsuits of these companies one by one. This is said to have been praised by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Global Times: Is China's situation stuck here? Answer: I don't know. I can't see any policy at present. Global Times: Do you think there is any way to change this situation? Answer: You are really funny. What can I do? I have a way. Does anyone listen? Global Times: Let's talk about it. A: Let Novartis lower the price. The huge market of 1.3 billion people will negotiate with these Western pharmaceutical companies, and they will definitely give in. In addition, the government can directly purchase drugs, saving logistics costs. In addition, the "Patent Law of the People's Republic of China" revised at the end of 2008 has also clearly stipulated that for the purpose of public health, patented drugs...can be granted compulsory licenses. However, so far, the State Intellectual Property Office has not received a single application for patent compulsory licenses. Why can't we have a compulsory license once? Global Times: Is there another one? A: Otherwise, medical insurance reimbursement will be implemented, but few provinces in China do this.
Global Times: Besides India, what other countries have done? Answer: Here is a printed document. I will read it to you. Around 2006, facing the serious AIDS epidemic in the country, Thailand implemented "compulsory licensing" for anti-AIDS drugs. Not only that, Thailand also implemented compulsory licensing for four cancer treatment drugs such as Gleevec in accordance with WTO rules. As a result, Novartis promised to provide the drug free of charge to all cancer patients in Thailand's National Health Insurance Program. In addition to Thailand, Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and other countries have similar cases of using WTO rules to bargain with patent monopoly pharmaceutical companies for the health rights of patients with major diseases. Global Times: Having said so much, have you bought Indian medicine? Are you worried about your condition? (I have to interject that when the patient heard my question, tears quickly flowed from his eyes and his expression was very painful...) Answer: I asked people everywhere and asked people to buy medicine from India, but I still haven't found anyone. I don't know where the future is. I know that the country also has many difficulties and it is impossible to take care of every sick person. But, but, but ------ if I have a choice, let me get sick and go to India... http://world.huanqiu.com/article ... .html?from=jsdb2015
This matter has been making a lot of noise recently. I heard that the comrade who helped the patients to buy Gleevec in a group was invited to have tea. It is better to exercise more.
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