PhRMA response to Colombia's issuance of a Declaration of Public Interest

The Colombian Ministry of Health has announced that negotiations with Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX) over the price of its cancer drug Glivec (imatinib) have failed, and that Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria will proceed with the formal declaration that a compulsory license for the patents on the drug is in the public interest.

Responding to the news of Colombia’s issuance of a Declaration of Public Interest, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s (PhRMA) vice president, international, Jay Taylor, said: “We are very disappointed that Colombia has decided to issue a Declaration of Public Interest as a prelude to imposing additional price cuts on a proven cancer medicine.”

Mr Taylor continued: “There are no legitimate reasons for Colombia to issue a declaration of public interest for the product in question. This medicine is being provided to all Colombian patients who need it and at a price negotiated and agreed by the Colombian government under its existing pricing system. Several competing versions are also available in Colombia, and there is no apparent shortage or evidence of other access issues. Under these circumstances, a declaration of public interest is unwarranted and unjustified….The way to achieve access to medicines is not through compromising incentives for innovation but by leveraging the collective abilities, strengths and resources of all stakeholders to improve health outcomes.”