Is the price of Paxlovid reasonable?

Things that we don't ask about oral treatments for COVID-19

Six questions, including poor review process by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the possibility of effectiveness

On the 27th, Paxlovid, an oral treatment for COVID-19, was approved for EUA by the MFDS, and the Pharmaceutical Association for Health Society asked questions about the insolvency and effectiveness of the screening process on the 30th.

 

The Health Pharmaceutical Association said, "Paxlovid is expected to be used in patients with high risk among mild and moderate coronavirus patients, and is known to have side effects such as taste abnormalities, diarrhea, and elevated blood pressure, and to be careful of various drugs such as anti-antibodymetic drugs." The Pharmaceutical Association said it would inquire about ▲ the inadequacy of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's examination process, ▲ possibility of effectiveness in the field, ▲ whether there is a treatment benefit for the use of mild patients, ▲ lack of efforts to solve the supply shortage problem,▲ in the absence of fair price negotiations, and▲ the lack of review of the supply of North Korean treatments.

 

▲How did Paxlovid finish its evaluation in 6 days?= Other new drugs also undergo a preliminary review process and have an average approval review process of 10 months.

 

In addition, the data on the approval of new drugs are so vast that it is impossible to review all of them in six days.

 

Therefore, there is a concern about insolvency screening, or it is doubtful whether it is a permit review relying on foreign regulators.

 

◆Is the restriction on clinical subjects actually effective?= Subjects of EPIC-HR, an important clinical trial of Paxlovid, were mainly mild and moderate patients who were not hospitalized, those with a high risk of COVID-19, those with one or more symptoms within 5 days, those who were not vaccinated, and those who participated as soon as possible after diagnosis.However, in actual clinical trials, those who have been vaccinated, those who are not at high risk, those who have passed five days of onset of symptoms, those who have been delayed from diagnosis to treatment, and patients with moderate or higher can also take medicine.

 

Further research is needed on the effect of this.

 

◆Is it an appropriate treatment to administer to mild patients= So far, the proven effect of Paxlovid is the effect of lowering the risk of hospitalization and death.

 

And the actual price is unknown, but the U.S.

 

transaction price is said to be approximately 630,000 won.

 

It is necessary to examine whether it is an appropriate price to administer 630,000 won to treatments to lower the risk of hospitalization and death of COVID-19 patients.

 

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review analyzed Remdesivir in a traditional cost-effectiveness method, and assessed that it had a therapeutic benefit of $2470 when used for secondary and severe patients, but only $70 when used for mild patients.

 

The current COVID-19 is a global public health crisis.

 

The Dominican government is considering generic for Paxlovid to respond to COVID-19.

 

And it is known that this drug can be produced without any special technology.

 

The government should prioritize public protection, not Pfizer's interests, to cope with infectious diseases.

 

◆Is the price of Paxlovid at the disposal of the seller?

 

= Originally, drug pricing needs sufficient negotiation efforts between the government and pharmaceutical companies.

 

Excessively high prices can undermine the patient's right to treatment and too low prices can undermine pharmaceutical companies' motivation for development.

 

In order to simultaneously achieve patient accessibility and promotion of R&D in the pharmaceutical industry, fair drug prices should be considered.

 

Drug price information should be disclosed as transparently as possible, but Pfizer continues to undermine price transparency with a public health crisis as a weapon in the COVID-19 situation.

 

◆Why don't we discuss the supply of Paxlovid to North Korea= North Korea is one of the few countries that have yet to start getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

 

There are many reasons why vaccines are not supplied to North Korea, but it is known that there is a heavy burden on the storage conditions below the freezer and the exemption of side effects that occur in healthy people.

 

Since Paxlovid is used in patients with COVID-19 symptoms, side effects can be avoided and storage can be done at room temperature for a long time, thereby overcoming these limitations.

 

Since Pfizer doesn't apply Paxlovid patents in 95 low-income countries, including North Korea, the South Korean government will be able to consider producing and supplying generic for Paxlovid to North Korea using domestic pharmaceutical facilities for humanitarian purposes.