Extracts from the debate on options for improving access to medicines during the plenary session in Brussels (01-02/03/2017)

Brussels

debate

plenary session

ANDRIUKAITIS, Vytenis (LT, EC)

GROSSETÊTE, Françoise (EPP, FR)

PAPADIMOULIS, Dimitrios (The Left, EL)

PEDICINI, Piernicola (Greens/EFA, IT)

access to medicines (T)

CABEZÓN RUIZ, Soledad (S&D, ES)

Options for improving access to medicines: extracts from the vote

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Soledad CABEZ&#211;N RUIZ (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, We are here today because there is an increase on pharmaceutical costs, which are 17% of the total health expense in Europe and amount 1.4 of the European GDP. High prices of medicines mean that we in Europe are in a scenario that we haven&rsquo;t expected, for example the hepatitis C, a disease with serious consequences and which has a treatment, is something that we haven&rsquo;t succeeded to eradicate.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Soledad CABEZ&Oacute;N RUIZ (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, This is not only an ethical question, it is also a question of rights as the Article 35 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights protects the patience rights to healthcare. Medicines are not just another consumer good, they need to be specially regulated and the patient has to be the focal point of this.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Soledad CABEZ&Oacute;N RUIZ (S&amp;D, ES), Rapporteur, We need to look at public incentives and guarantee a return on investments so we have fair prices and guaranteed access to medicines;  we need a better framework to increase competitiveness and generic drugs can get on the market, also we need to rationalise the use of drugs. In particular, I want to make this point clear, we need a plan to eradicate hepatitis C; it is not acceptable that we have medication that can save people&rsquo;s life and that we are not able to coordinate sufficiently to eradicate this disease.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vytenis ANDRIUKAITIS, Member of the EC in charge of Health and Food Safety, I fully share your concern about the need to improve the patient&rsquo;s access to medicines. To help ensure all patients have timely access to innovative and affordable medicines everywhere in the EU. Affordable and innovative medicines for each and every European citizen. Of course the key question here is how do we balance the objectives of innovation, quality and affordability? On the one hand we need to ensure industry develops truly innovative products that respect the strict rules of safety, quality and efficacy while on the other hand we need to make sure this innovation remains affordable and thus accessible to patients throughout Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Italian), Piernicola PEDICINI (EFDD, IT), from DEVE EP Committee, Sofosbuvir, which provides protection from hepatitis C it is sold 277 times more than the price it is produces; a vaccination for Pertussis - whooping cough, it&rsquo;s sold of 120 dollars when it costs only 1 dollar to produce; Erlotinib, for pancreatic tumor, costs 15 000 euro for the treatment and increases life expectancy by 10 days and the same situation goes forCetuximab as concerns pulmonary tumours, only an increase of month and a half in life expectancy and it costs 80 000 euro. We think that this initiative report is not tackling these issues seriously.

SOUNDBITE (French), Fran&#231;oise GROSSET&#202;TE (EPP, FR), The challenge of access to treatments will take place though new business models for laboratories and with close cooperation between member states by the harmonisation of the evaluation of health technology at European level, by the development of e-health and digital technologies and the development of prevention. These solutions might be more complicated but will also be more sustainable. Let&rsquo;s not forget the cost of innovation is also the price of progress.

EP Vice President Mr PAPADIMOULIS, opening of the vote on the report CABEZ&Oacute;N RUIZ. Cutaway on rapporteur.

Result of the vote: 568 votes in favour, 30 votes against, 52 abstentions; the text is adopted.