Drug manufacturers plan to reduce costs for essential medications
In a significant move aimed at making essential drugs more affordable, the Ministry of Healthcare in Kazakhstan has entered into cooperation agreements with several pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson Kazakhstan, and AO "Khimprom".
One of the key agreements involves reviewing the pricing policy for Spinraza (Nusinersen), a drug produced by Johnson & Johnson, which is used to treat spinal muscular atrophy, a rare, progressive, and life-threatening disease. An agreement has also been reached with Johnson & Johnson to review the pricing policy for this drug.
Similarly, under the agreement with AstraZeneca, prices on a range of essential drugs, including Dapagliflozin, will be lowered for both retail and wholesale distribution. Dapagliflozin is a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, a non-communicable disease that affects over 520,000 people in Kazakhstan, of whom 492,335 have type 2 diabetes.
AO "Khimprom" has confirmed its readiness to reduce the purchase price for Dapagliflozin. However, it's important to note that there are currently no specific details available regarding the extent of the price reductions for Dapagliflozin and Spinraza resulting from these agreements.
The memorandum with AO "Khimprom" also includes provisions for the development of mechanisms for financing innovative drugs, adherence to acceptable trade margin limits, monitoring of price dynamics, formulating proposals for improving legislation in the field of drug supply, and the exchange of best practices.
These agreements aim to reduce prices on a range of expensive and socially significant drugs, addressing the cost of these drugs, which can often lead to various complications, cardiovascular pathologies, blindness, kidney failure, and an increasing social-economic burden.
The Ministry's efforts to address the cost of socially significant drugs are not limited to these agreements. Further updates or official announcements from the parties involved would be necessary for precise details on these medications.
In conclusion, the Ministry of Healthcare in Kazakhstan is taking proactive steps to make essential drugs more affordable, with the aim of improving the health and well-being of its citizens. These partnerships with pharmaceutical companies will undoubtedly contribute to the reduction of healthcare costs and the improvement of accessibility to essential medicines for all Kazakhstanis.
Johnson & Johnson's pricing policy for Spinraza, a drug used for treating spinal muscular atrophy, and the pricing policy for Dapagliflozin, a medication used for type 2 diabetes, are subject to review under cooperative agreements with the Ministry of Healthcare in Kazakhstan, with the goal of enhancing the affordability of essential drugs and promoting health and wellness.
The collaborative agreement with AstraZeneca intends to decrease prices on various essential drugs, including Dapagliflozin, with the aim of reducing healthcare costs and improving accessibility to vital medications for all Kazakhstanis.
