english.prescrire.org > Spotlight > Archives : 2010 > Delisting in France of certain poorly effective drugs challenged by drug companies

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Delisting in France of certain poorly effective drugs challenged by drug companies

Several pharmaceutical companies have succeeded, via a process which has not been revealed to the public, in securing the continued reimbursement of their drugs by France’s national health insurance system.

In September 2008, the French committee that assesses the medical benefits of new drugs and provides recommendations concerning drug reimbursement (Commission de la transparence) concluded that certain slow-acting drugs used to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis offered “insufficient” medical benefits.

This should have resulted in these drugs being removed from the list of drugs reimbursed by France’s national health insurance system. They include chondroitin, diacerein, and avocado and soya unsaponifiables.

Each of the drug companies concerned requested a hearing. Afterwards, the committee announced its final ruling: the medical benefit was upgraded from “insufficient” to “weak”, which allows the drug to be reimbursed at 15%, except for chondroitin, whose medical benefit is still rated insufficient; but chondroitin is still reimbursable.

There is no available explanation for these astounding decisions.

These drugs, which should be avoided, cost the health insurance system nearly 100 million euros in 2008.

Yet another decision that puts the interests of the pharmaceuticals industry before those of patients and the general public.

©Prescrire August 2010

Source : "Chondroïtine, diacéréine, insaponifiables d'avocat et de soja : zones d'ombre sur le "SMR" !" Rev Prescrire 2010; 30 (321): 502.