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Friday, 29 January 2010 11:56 GMT
Pharma wants say in the financing of France's health system
PARIS, Jan 29 (APM) - Laboratoires internationaux de recherche - LIR, made up of French subsidiaries of overseas pharma companies, said it wants to be involved in shaping the way France's health system is financed.
The 15 LIR members, which act as a think tank, called a press briefing on Thursday to present its proposals for 2010.
LIR chairman and Lilly France CEO, Dominique Amory, said the pharma industry is undergoing a process of change at a time of rising health expenditure.
The association wants to launch in the spring a "financing barometer" for the public authorities, which will reveal the correlations between health system financing choices and the challenges posed by innovation.
LIR also wants to involve other health players in the debate on health system financing, such as complementary health insurance bodies and food industry players.
Asked about LIR health system proposals, Robert Dahan, head of AstraZeneca France, said the association had yet to set its proposals "to music". LIR has so far refused to get involved in putting forward its thoughts on health financing, but is now ready to participate.
RESEARCH
LIR also wants to strengthen the links between public and private research and hold a second R&D meeting.
The first on neurosciences was organised under the aegis of the Elysée in June 2009; its purpose was to bring French public researchers into contact with international pharma R&D decision makers.
Together with LEEM, the French pharma industry body, LIR will organise a second R&D session on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in early June.
Hervé Gisserot, head of GlaxoSmithKline France, said: "We want to present the outstanding qualities of French research to our parent companies."
LIR is also keen to develop epidemiological resources in France, one of the points the recent meeting of the council of health industries (Csis) identified.
Referring to real-life use of products, Dahan said: "We need to contribute data on the actual value of drugs". He emphasised the need for an epidemiological database, adding that becoming a leader in epidemiology will give France an important role in post-marketing studies.
In addition, LIR called for a review or a re-think of the legal protection of clinical data, pointing out that in some medical fields, such as age-related pathologies, trials last for many years, thereby shortening a product's exclusive marketing period.
ALTERNATIVE EVALUATION MODEL
LIR wants to open the debate so as to reach a "new consensus" with the authorities on drug evaluation.
In mass pathologies such as arterial hypertension, high cholesterol or heart failure, payers are saying that medical requirements are being satisfactorily fulfilled.
LIR emphasises that whole sections of research are being abandoned because therapeutic progress is not sufficiently acknowledged.
Dahan said that even though most of the populations concerned by the pathologies are happy with the available treatments, there will always be people whose needs are not covered by the drugs already on the market.
Dahan said: "We need to think up completely different economic models." For instance, for an anti-hypertensive developed for a specific population, it is not possible to apply the treatment costs current for products that are already available on the market. To do so would tend to discourage research.
LIR also wants to usher in health education suited to patients' needs and says it wants to participate in observance programmes together with other healthcare players.
Pharma companies are asked to prove the efficacy of drugs in real-life terms, but question how this can be done if a drug is not used correctly? Amory asked (this question) and stressed that many products come with complex devices and the patient needs to be taught how to use them correctly.
LIR says it wants to be sure that information targeting patients cannot be mistaken for an advertisement or promotional material. Under no circumstances should the pharma industry have direct contact with patients.
so/aki/nh
[17939] 29/01/2010 11:56 GMT - INDUSTRY
The 15 LIR members, which act as a think tank, called a press briefing on Thursday to present its proposals for 2010.
LIR chairman and Lilly France CEO, Dominique Amory, said the pharma industry is undergoing a process of change at a time of rising health expenditure.
The association wants to launch in the spring a "financing barometer" for the public authorities, which will reveal the correlations between health system financing choices and the challenges posed by innovation.
LIR also wants to involve other health players in the debate on health system financing, such as complementary health insurance bodies and food industry players.
Asked about LIR health system proposals, Robert Dahan, head of AstraZeneca France, said the association had yet to set its proposals "to music". LIR has so far refused to get involved in putting forward its thoughts on health financing, but is now ready to participate.
RESEARCH
LIR also wants to strengthen the links between public and private research and hold a second R&D meeting.
The first on neurosciences was organised under the aegis of the Elysée in June 2009; its purpose was to bring French public researchers into contact with international pharma R&D decision makers.
Together with LEEM, the French pharma industry body, LIR will organise a second R&D session on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in early June.
Hervé Gisserot, head of GlaxoSmithKline France, said: "We want to present the outstanding qualities of French research to our parent companies."
LIR is also keen to develop epidemiological resources in France, one of the points the recent meeting of the council of health industries (Csis) identified.
Referring to real-life use of products, Dahan said: "We need to contribute data on the actual value of drugs". He emphasised the need for an epidemiological database, adding that becoming a leader in epidemiology will give France an important role in post-marketing studies.
In addition, LIR called for a review or a re-think of the legal protection of clinical data, pointing out that in some medical fields, such as age-related pathologies, trials last for many years, thereby shortening a product's exclusive marketing period.
ALTERNATIVE EVALUATION MODEL
LIR wants to open the debate so as to reach a "new consensus" with the authorities on drug evaluation.
In mass pathologies such as arterial hypertension, high cholesterol or heart failure, payers are saying that medical requirements are being satisfactorily fulfilled.
LIR emphasises that whole sections of research are being abandoned because therapeutic progress is not sufficiently acknowledged.
Dahan said that even though most of the populations concerned by the pathologies are happy with the available treatments, there will always be people whose needs are not covered by the drugs already on the market.
Dahan said: "We need to think up completely different economic models." For instance, for an anti-hypertensive developed for a specific population, it is not possible to apply the treatment costs current for products that are already available on the market. To do so would tend to discourage research.
LIR also wants to usher in health education suited to patients' needs and says it wants to participate in observance programmes together with other healthcare players.
Pharma companies are asked to prove the efficacy of drugs in real-life terms, but question how this can be done if a drug is not used correctly? Amory asked (this question) and stressed that many products come with complex devices and the patient needs to be taught how to use them correctly.
LIR says it wants to be sure that information targeting patients cannot be mistaken for an advertisement or promotional material. Under no circumstances should the pharma industry have direct contact with patients.
so/aki/nh
[17939] 29/01/2010 11:56 GMT - INDUSTRY
