Expensive medicines are a growing problem the world over and for too long big pharma has been able to charge extortionate prices, leaving patients struggling to access the treatment they need. The plight of Luis Walker, the 9-year old boy with cystic fibrosis featured in Jeremy Corbyn’s speech at the Labour party conference yesterday, illustrates how fundamentally broken our system of developing medicines is and why proposals to protect public health and take on the power of pharmaceutical companies are so desperately needed.
The drug, Orkambi, can not only alleviate the symptoms of cystic fibrosis but could actually slow the progression of the disease, potentially adding years of life to patients like Luis. But this drug is not available on the NHS in England because it is too expensive. Despite three years of negotiations, drug company Vertex is still refusing to lower its hefty price tag of £105,000. Keeping the price of Orkambi this high is no anomaly. Patent monopolies over new drugs means that no other company can make or sell that drug for up to 20 years and companies like Vertex are able to hike up their prices as a result.
From breast cancer to Hepatitis C medicines, the system is designed to increase profits for big pharma at the expense of patient access. But the legal tools to break this deadlock exist and have always been in the hands of governments. Labour’s announcement to use them shows they are willing to take on the powerful pharmaceutical lobby on behalf of patients.
