Author: KEI Staff

Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria issued a declaration that it would be in the public interest for the government to lower the price of Novartis’ expensive leukemia drug, Gleevec (imatinib).

CONTACT: Andrew Goldman, +1 (202) 332-2670 or andrew.goldman@keionline.org

The following individuals are also available for comment:

• Andrea Carolina Reyes Rojas, Misión Salud: subdireccion@mision-salud.org
• Dr. Francisco Rossi, IFARMA: francisco_rossi@hotmail.com

Washington, DC, June 17, 2016 — Colombian Minister of Health Alejandro Gaviria today issued Resolution 2475 of 2016, declaring that it would be in the public interest for the government of Colombia to lower the price of an expensive leukemia drug. The Ministry of Health describes this resolution as unprecedented in Colombia.

The drug, imatinib, is marketed as Glivec in Colombia by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis at a price of approximately $15,000 per patient per year, nearly twice the average income of a Colombian resident. Glivec has generated over $47 billion in global revenue for Novartis. Continue Reading →

On May 24th, 2016 the NIH posted a notice on the Federal Register stating it is contemplating the grant of an exclusive license to Dimension Therapeutics, Inc. for the development of an Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors for the Treatment of Glycogen… Continue Reading →

The following is the intervention on behalf of Stichting Health Action International (HAI) at 69th World Health Assembly, Agenda Item 16.2: Follow-up to the report of the Consultative Expert Working Group on Research and Development: Financing and Coordination – Report of the open-ended meeting of Member States.

KEI worked with HAI on the statement, and it was delivered by James Love

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