ELPEN's engagement in treating Diabetes
During this event, ELPEN's new activities within the field of Diabetes were announced. Diabetes is an increasing global epidemic, affecting approximately 350 million patients worldwide, 90% of which present Type II Diabetes. Within this context, and given the long‐lasting trust shown by patients and the medical/pharmaceutical community in ELPEN's quality and effective drugs, our company has engaged in scientifically informing and promoting alogliptin, a new drug for the treatment of Type II Diabetes, which is the result of TAKEDA pharmaceutical company's research.
During his speech, entitled "Diabetes: Developments & Prospects", Mr. Alexandros Gkinis, Physician – Endocrinologist, Medical Director at Takeda, mentioned that alogliptin, a treatment for Type II Diabetes, belongs to the DPP‐4 inhibitors'class, and is suitable for patients receiving multiple medications, since it does not display any interactions. In addition, Mr. Gkinis noted that alogliptin is also suitable for kidney and hepatic patients, as well as elderly individuals.
50 years of caring for humans
Mr. Theodore Kaloudis, ELPEN's Communications Consultant, presented the company's history. He described how one man's dream, the dream of ELPEN's Founder, pharmacist Mr. Dimitrios Pentafragas, evolved into a 2 lifetime project – a project, which stands high today, within the international markets, as an ambassador of Greek drugs. He also mentioned that ELPEN exports 30 high therapeutic value products, has an active presence in 27 European countries and 60 across the globe, has the largest private Research Center in Greece, counts 210.000.000 packages produced within the ultramodern production unit at Pikermi (Attica, Greece), and continues its rising course, substantially supporting the national economy.
Importantly though, ELPEN's philosophy and history also focus on providing for our fellow‐men and thus the entire society. Within this context, Mr. Konstantinos Ioannidis, Director of Human Resources & Corporate Communications at ELPEN, talked about the Corporate Social Responsibility activities carried out by our company. Mr. Ioannidis also announced a new collaboration with the Hellenic Cancer Society (HCS), and referred to the support of a nation‐wide programfor the information on breast cancer early diagnosis, which is scheduled for 2016. This particular partnership concerns the refunctioning of an HCS mobile mammography unit, as well as a tour, which will take place across the country, in order to inform, examine for free and perform mammography on female individuals.
A national drug policy is needed
During the event, Mr. Apostolos Pappas, Marketing Manager Cardiovasculars at ELPEN, gave a speech entitled "Pharmaceutical Industry: Managing the financial reality", while Mr. Kostas Papadopoulos, Manager in Health Policy and Pharmacoeconomics at ELPEN, focused on the issue of Drug Pricing and Compensation in Greece.
The event concluded with the speech of Mr. Theodore Tryfon, Vice President of ELPEN's Board of Directors and President of PEF. Mr. Tryfon presented the Greek pharmaceutical industry's main policy directions, which can be summarized in the following: evaluation and insurance compensation of the newest, expensive, drugs, rationalization of drug use and consumption, and control of prescribing. The above‐ mentioned are more important than the unilateral focus on prices, especially those of older, established, Greek drugs, which are the most cost‐efficient choices for both the insured patients and the health system.
Mr. Tryfon highlighted that the patients' trust in the quality of generic drugs must be reinforced, since the Greek pharmaceutical industry can cover 70% of the needs in drugs, while yielding an added value for the domestic economy. This is due to the fact our industry contributes to Public Revenues through taxation, administration fees and contributions; for every €1 spent on a Greek drug, the GDP is enhanced by €3,42! Importantly, our industry also contributes to employment, with 53,100 jobs and a potential to create an additional 2000 positions within the next 5 years, while it improves the drug trade balance (‐ €2 billion).
Mr. Tryfon submitted the Greek pharmaceutical industry's proposals on the issue of Pricing. He mentioned that, under the current circumstances, on‐patent drugs should be priced at the average of the EU's 3 lowest prices, while off‐patent drugs should be at 50% of the patent ‐ protected price and generics should be at 32,5% of the reference drug patent ‐ protected price– with any further price reductions resulting from the dynamic pricing. Moreover, he noted that caution should be given to maintain within the market the cheaper (realistically priced) treatments, since they have proved to be yielding savings. Mr. Tryfon stated that the proposition mentioned in the Memorandum III, with regards to the volume/price negotiations, is in the correct direction. When asked by the journalists, Mr. Tryfon explained that even though this model is acceptable due to the current financial circumstances, a long‐term pricing policy, within the context of a stable national drug policy, must be designed.
As far as the issue of Compensations is concerned, Mr. Tryfon underlined that there is a need to have a positive list with justified exceptions, and to add new active ingredients after evaluation – provided that they are reimbursed by the insurance bodies of the EU country in which they are marketed. Furthermore, he spoke in favor of automatically including in the Positive List any generics, hybrids, stable combinations and biosimilars corresponding to the already incorporated active ingredients. Finally, he supported the inclusion of new drugs without equivalent generics, provided that: they have central, acceleratedapproval, or are characterized as orphans by EMA; they significantly improve effectivenessand safety of current options; and are known to contribute to the pharmaceutical expenditure's reduction, or are products resulting from domestic research, growth and production.
PEF's objections on regulations of the Memorandum III
With regards to PEF's objections on aspects of the Memorandum III, Mr. Tryfon stressed that it would be more efficient to give emphasis on Compensationrather thanthe Pricing System. Thefocus should be orientatedtowards curbing expenditures, through older and already cheap drugs – not towards their withdrawal and substitution by newer, more expensive, products. Mr. Tryfon pointed out the need for having the ability to release new generics – something that the new Memorandum's framework wants to prevent. In relation to the issue of prescribing based on the active ingredient, Mr. Tryfon underlined that it is unacceptable to prohibit physicians from proposing a commercial name as composition, while he put forward the importance of evaluating new, expensive, drugs and rewarding innovation – a matter, on which the Institutions seem to be unable to distinguish between innovative and on‐patent drugs.
Finally, referring to ELPEN, Mr. Tryfon emphasized that, with a turnover of €130 million in Greece, €28 million abroad and €200 within the Group, with 650 employees in ELPEN and 900 in the Group, the company will continue to support the message "We insist on Greece. We remain in Greece". In parallel, he presented ELPEN's forthcoming plans, which include:a dynamic presence in Europe, the expansion to new international markets, a differentiation through Research and Innovation, the enhancement of international partnerships and a continuous emphasis on quality and consistence.