Turkey Regulatory Update: Industry Warns on Euro rate, Political Ambitions Thwarted

The chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Turkey (IEIS) has said that the cost of not updating the Euro exchange rate for the industry has exceeded $6.1 billion, while the ex-president of the SGK, who resigned her post to become an MP candidate for the June elections, has not been nominated. Four drugs have been added to the reimbursement list.

A PharmAsia News update on Turkish biomedical regulatory policies. For the previous article in the series, see: (Also see "Turkey Regulatory Update: Govt Pricing Policy Criticized, Pharmacies Halt Refugee Supplies" - Scrip, 24 Mar, 2015.).

Industry Euro Rate Losses Exceed TRY16 billion

Answering questions put by business magazine “Para” in its Apr.1 edition, the chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of Turkey (IEIS) and leading local pharma firm Abdi Ibrahim Ilac Sanayi ve Tic AS, Nezih Barut, underlined the problems caused by government’s pricing policy for the industry.

He emphasized that the most important agenda item for the industry in 2014 was problems in pricing and reimbursement, just like it has been for the last five years. “The Euro rate is used in our country in determining drug prices and it has been kept fixed at TRY1.95 since 2009. This policy has continued despite the fact that legal conditions to change it have already emerged,” he said.

“The amount that has been transferred from the industry to public authority as a result of this policy reached over TRY16 billion [$6.1 billion] by the end of 2014. The government’s budget for 2015 has been reduced to TRY15 billion. There is the danger that cost saving measures might be introduced in coming days in order to keep the budget within its limits.

“It is very clear that our industry needs stable pharmaceutical policies that can be foreseen,” the executive warned.

Ex-SGK President Not Nominated

Yadigar Gokalp, the ex-president of the SGK (Social Security Institution), the health payor body in Turkey -who resigned her post in February to become an MP candidate for AKP, the governing political party - had not been included on the official list of candidates.

It is not clear why this happened or who may have removed her, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu or President Tayyip Erdogan. She has the right to apply to be reinstated to her position within one month after the announcement of final results of general elections.

However, if the government makes a permanent appointment for the opposition in the meantime, something that it has not done so far, the legal necessity to reinstate her will disappear. Gokalp’s intentions about her old job are not clear yet.

Link to related story (in Turkish):

http://www.haberturk.com/gundem/haber/1063498-ak-partide-unlu-isimler-listeye-giremedi

57 Die Of Flu, H1N1 scare

The influenza season has been taking its toll in Turkey, and according to information given by the ministry of health, 57 people had died as of Apr.1, most elderly and/or chronic patients. 43 fatalities were caused the H1N1 virus, and seven each by influenza B and influenza A (H3N2).

The figures have sparked worries over a possible H1N1 epidemic, but the ministry firmly denied this and underlined that these figures are normal for any influenza season. Despite the denial, the ministry has already completed most of the distribution of one million courses of antiviral drugs to local health centers and family GP offices.

Links to related story (in Turkish):

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/28621176.asp

http://www.haberturk.com/saglik/haber/1062464-aile-hekimlerine-1-milyon-kutu-antiviral-ilac-verilecek

Stem Cell Donations Increase

Minister of Health Mehmet Muezzinoglu and chairman of the Turkish Red Crescent Lutfi Akar held a joint press conference on Apr.1 and gave information on stem cell projects revealing that the number of stem cell donations to the Turkish Stem Cell Coordination Center (TURKOK), established by the ministry and Turkish Red Crescent, has reached 38,000. The center is targeting 250,000 donations.

The minister emphasized that a strong infrastructure has been founded and that the center is expected to reach its targets.

Last year 3,327 bone marrow transplant operations took place in the country and at the moment there are 844 patients (527 of them children) in Turkey waiting for such transplants. The ministry and Turkish Red Crescent are also cooperating to produce certain blood products locally.

Link to related story (in Turkish);

http://www.saglik.gov.tr/TR/belge/1-39769/ulusal-kemik-iligi-bankasi-hizmet-vermeye-basladi.html

SGK Reimburses Four Drugs

The SGK has added Multiflex Linezosel 2mg/mL I.V. (linezolid; Haver Ilac) to the reimbursement list in a notice dated Apr.8. It also added Doxel Ready 20mg/1mL IV (docetaxel; Mustafa Nevzat Ilac), Nacosel 300mg/3mL (acetylcysteine; Haver Ilac) and Tirgen 500mg/5mL IV (leviracetam; Generica Ilac) to the list with a notice dated Apr.1.

SGK Notice (in Turkish):

http://www.sgk.gov.tr/wps/portal/tr/e_sgk/diger_uygulamalar/duyurular /