E-drug: BBC -Insulin giant pulls medicine from Greece over price cut
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[Perhaps Greek e-druggers could provide more information on the current drug situation in Greece. Moderator]
submitted by
Murat Civaner, MD PhD
Dokuz Eylul University
School of Medicine
Dept. of Medical Ethics,
Izmir, Turkey
+90.232.412 4001
mcivaner@gmail.com
[details added by Moderator}
By Malcolm Brabant
BBC News, Athens
May 29
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/10189367.stm
The world's leading supplier of the anti-diabetes drug insulin is
withdrawing a state-of-the-art medication from Greece.
Novo Nordisk, a Danish company, objects to a government decree ordering a
25% price cut in all medicines.
A campaign group has condemned the move as "brutal capitalist blackmail".
More than 50,000 Greeks with diabetes use Novo Nordisk's product, which is
injected via an easy-to-use fountain pen-like device.
A spokesman for the Danish pharmaceutical company said it was withdrawing
the product from the Greek market because the price cut would force its
business in Greece to run at a loss.
The company was also concerned that the compulsory 25% reduction would have
a knock-on effect because other countries use Greece as a key reference
point for setting drug prices.
'Insensitive'
Greece wants to slash its enormous medical bill as part of its effort to
reduce the country's crippling debt.
International pharmaceutical companies are owed billions in unpaid bills.
Novo Nordisk claims it is owed $36m (£24.9m) dollars by the Greek state.
Pavlos Panayotacos, whose 10-year-old daughter Nephele has diabetes, has
written to Novo Nordisk's chairman to criticise the move.
"As an economist I realise the importance of making a profit, but healthcare
is more than just the bottom line," he wrote.
"As you well may know, Greece is presently in dire economic and social
straits, and you could not have acted in a more insensitive manner at a more
inopportune time."
The Greek diabetes association was more robust, describing the Danes'
actions as "brutal blackmail" and "a violation of corporate social
responsibility".
The Danish chairman, Lars Sorensen, wrote to Mr Panayotacos stressing that
it was "the irresponsible management of finances by the Greek government
which puts both you and our company in this difficult position".
People with diabetes in Greece have warned that some could die as a result
of this action.
But a spokesman for Novo Nordisk said this issue was not about killing
people. By way of compensation, he said the company would make available an
insulin product called glucagen, free of charge.