Global Drug Discovery: Europe Is Ahead - Europe leads in pharmaceutical research

[slipslidingaway]

By Donald W. Light
Health Affairs
August 25, 2009

http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.28.5.w969v1
http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/28/1/w165

"It is widely believed that the United States has eclipsed Europe in pharmaceutical research productivity. Some leading analysts claim that although fewer drugs have been discovered worldwide over the past decade, most are therapeutically important. Yet a comprehensive data set of all new chemical entities approved between 1982 and 2003 shows that the United States never overtook Europe in research productivity, and that Europe in fact is pulling ahead of U.S. productivity. Other large studies show that most new drugs add few if any clinical benefits over previously discovered drugs..."


Posted by Don McCanne MD on Tuesday, Aug 25, 2009
"This entry is from Dr. McCanne's Quote of the Day, a daily health policy update on the single-payer health care reform movement."

http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/08/25/europe-leads-in-pharmaceutical-research/

"Our uniquely American health care system is noted for its high prices for relative mediocrity. Some contend that our pharmaceutical industry provides an exception. It doesn’t. We are paying high prices for new chemical entities that over 85 percent of the time are providing us with no real benefit over existing products.

Many contend nevertheless that innovations provided by U.S. pharmaceutical firms are well worth our very high prices. Yet productivity of European pharmaceutical firms remains even higher, and they are able to provide new products at much lower prices.

When reform advocates look at the excessive costs of U.S. health care, two favorite targets are the private insurance industry and the pharmaceutical firms. Policies that would reduce these burdens are no secret. Physicians for a National Health Program has described policies that would eliminate the private insurance burden. Arjun Jayadev and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz, in the article cited above, provide examples of policies that would increase value in our purchasing of pharmaceuticals.


So what is Congress’s response? They intend to expand the dysfunctional private insurance markets, and use more of our tax money for subsidies. For the biotech industry they are expanding data exclusivity thereby keeping generics off the market for longer periods. Reform is going to bring us more overpriced, inadequate private insurance plans and more overpriced pharmaceuticals/biologics.

Tell Congress that reform is not about enhancing the business models of the insurance and pharmaceutical firms. It’s about making health care affordable and accessible for everyone. Go back and get it right."

[xchrom]

1. so in light of our 'best' in the world 'healthcare'

why is this fact not front and center?

[slipslidingaway]

3. If it were front and center then it could not be an excuse :( read

about the data exclusivity amendments in the proposed legislation as well.

Posted about it a couple of times with few replies.


http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/july/senate_help_amendmen.php

"Sen. Orin Hatch: I don’t know a biotech company that isn’t for this bill, for this 12 year data exclusivity.

****

Sen. Kay Hagan: These individuals are out there looking for venture capital to obviously help them get these drugs to market… In order for our country to maintain this innovation and this research we need 12 years of data exclusivity.

****

Sen. Judd Gregg: Money flows into biologics research because capital moves there to make money. That’s the way a market system works.

****

Sen. Tom Harkin: Keep in mind what we’re talking about here. We’re not talking about patents. Everybody gets a 20 year patent… What we’re talking about here is data, data exclusivity… How do you get that data? You get it through FDA supervised trials… Where do they do those clinical trials? Academic health centers. Who supports academic health centers? Our taxpayers… When should that data be released so that another company out there, some other entrepreneurs, can look at the data and say… I’ll bet if we changed this and did this, we might come up with a new formulation that might actually help something else. They’re still going to have to go through their clinical trials… At least they’ll be able to look at the data. If you don’t do that that means that the company can sit on that data for 12 years. Then they let the data out. Clinical trials will take another 7 years or more, so you’re going to have at least a whole 20 year run in there… before anyone can ever surface with anything even comparable to what that drug or that biologic is..."

[LiberalAndProud]

2. Pay more, get less in return ... how very American of us. (nt)

[slipslidingaway]

4. Must keep investors happy :( n/t

[Uncle Joe]

5. But, but, but don't they have socialist like health care and stuff?

At least we don't leave all the for profit "health" insurance corporations, billionaires and mega rich behind, so we have that going for us.:bounce:

[slipslidingaway]

6. We're definitely number one when it comes to profits derived from

the misery of others.

Thanks for the kick.

:)

[ParkieDem]

7. This really isn't surprising.

And let's not forget that European drug companies are more than willing to gouge American consumers just like American drug companies.

GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Bayer, ReckittBenckiser, and many others gladly take advantage of our lack of price controls so they can inflate their profits.

[slipslidingaway]

8. Agree it is not surprising, just becomes a bit tiring when people

cannot afford to buy the medications needed.

Welcome to DU

:hi:

[slipslidingaway]

9. Response to this article by PhRMA .....

http://www.phrma.org/news_room/press_releases/phrma_statement_regarding_benefits_of_u.s._innovation/

"Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Senior Vice President Ken Johnson issued the following statement today in response to “‘Global Drug Discovery: Europe Is Ahead,’ a paper published in the Aug. 25 edition of Health Affairs:

“Unfortunately, the paper paints a distorted picture that gives short shrift to the medical advances made possible by America’s pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies and ignores the chilling effect of government price controls on such innovation.

“Let there be no mistake: America leads the world in discovering and developing innovative medical therapies that have revolutionized health care, helping patients to live longer, healthier and more productive lives...."