British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline PLC is taking the unusual step of giving government health-care systems a say in deciding which drugs advance in its research pipeline, a move it hopes will result in more products these customers will pay for.
Glaxo's new chief executive, Andrew Witty, said the effort is part of his drive to help the world's second-largest drug maker adapt to a tough pharmaceutical market. In recent years, soaring health-care costs have led insurers, governments and other drug buyers to tighten their belts.
Was Witty really surprised then by this headline:
Blow for GSK’s breast cancer drug
By Andrew Jack
Published: July 8 2008 03:03 | Last updated: July 8 2008 03:03
"The British government’s medicines advisory body has advised against the use of GlaxoSmithKline’s oral cancer drug Tyverb in the National Health Service, dealing a blow to the UK-based pharmaceutical group in its home country.
The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) on Monday issued a provisional recommendation that Tyverb for advanced breast cancer did not meet its threshold for clinical and cost effectiveness. That recommendation could effectively rule out the UK market for the GSK medicine."
Tykerb is a pill that targets a subgroup of women who are HER-2 positive for breast cancer. GSK even told NICE it would only accept payment for patients who got better.
It still said no.
What new drugs do regulatory authorities want:
Close your eyes and what do you see?
Witty should know better than to hand the future of his company and that of patients over to those who care only about costs.
