In two days, the online petition “For an end to the exorbitant prices of cancer drugs!” collected 27,700 signatures, including that of host Daniela Lumbroso. Published this Thursday, April 7, 2016 on the Change.org site at the initiative of the League against Cancer, this petition is addressed to the President of the Republic.
The goal? “Denounce theopacity of the pricing of innovative drugs, challenge the exorbitant cost and unfair of these, to challenge the public authorities on the possible dramatic consequences for the French health system and for sick people and to challenge the public authorities to resist pressure from pharmaceutical companies. “
Is cancer treatment a luxury reserved for the richest?
Because the cost of new anti-cancer treatments is exploding. In June 2009, two American oncologists mentioned, for example, a “miracle” drug against lung cancer, in the Journal of National Cancer Institute. Its price: € 56,000 for 1.2 additional months of survival on average. We can also mention Keytruda, a new molecule intended to fight the melanoma : this innovative treatment would cost around 100,000 € per year and per patient.
According to the League against Cancer, a third of the price of these “new drugs” would correspond to the cost of marketing to promote it: in other words, advertising! For comparison, a chemotherapy costs “only” 1000 € per year and per patient on average …
Exorbitant costs that will soon no longer be able to be reimbursed by Social Security, according to the association. Who says that “in the short term, the treatment of a patient for a year will be equivalent to the average income of three French households. Our united and equitable French health system which has so far made it possible to finance these treatments will be at risk, endangering a large number of patients. ” Hence the following question, which constitutes the heart of the petition: “Tomorrow, can we all be treated?” Doesn’t health risk becoming a luxury?
With this petition, the League against Cancer hopes that the issue will be on the agenda of the next G7 meeting, which will take place at the end of May in Japan.