UICC and WHO to Negotiate Prices for Cancer Generics and Biosimilars

October 31, 2022

Cancer drug price negotiations with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) will center around biosimilars and generics. The goal is to increase access to life-saving medications for people living in low and low-middle income countries (LMICs). Negotiations will begin with drugs on the WHO’s Essential Medicines List.

According to Sharayu Pillai, “Drugs listed on the list are intended to be available in functioning health systems at all times, in appropriate dosage forms, of assured quality and at prices individuals and health systems can afford. Newer treatments for cancer, such as immunotherapy, which has been shown to be effective against melanoma, can be extremely costly. For many patients suffering from cancer, the payment for such treatment would often have to come out of insurance plans and out-of-pocket payments.”

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(Source: Code Blue, October 31st, 2022)

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