PARIS, Mar 26 (APM) - The public cost of treating chronic hepatitis C in France decreased from 1.2 billion euros to 650 million euros in part thanks to a price-regulation mechanism introduced by the 2015 social security financial act (LFSS), according to the French secretary of state for finance.
Christian Eckert was questioned on Tuesday by the French Senate on the results of the management of the general social security system during the reporting year 2014.
Social-democrat senator Gilbert Barbier asked Eckert about the results of the new hepatitis C cost- regulation system.
Under this new mechanism, if companies selling new HCV drugs exceed the funding package provided, they are required to pay back most of their turnovers to health insurance (APMMA 40932). The threshold (retrospective) amounted to 450 million euros in 2014 and 700 million euros in 2015.
“We are agreed that beyond 450 million euros, the difference would be reduced by half,” Eckert said. “In 2014, hepatitis C expenditure amounted to about 1.2 billion euros (without counting) agreed discounts. The net expenditure amounted to about 900 million euros.”
Rebates include payments from Gilead for Sovaldi (sofosbuvir), related to the difference between the price of the drug when under temporary use authorisation (ATU), which was 56,000 euros (for a 12-week treatment), and the 41,000 euros price finally obtained in November 2014 (APMMA 40872) as a reimbursed hospital drug.
The cost-regulation mechanism provides that of the 450 million euros in excess, “the reduction of expenditure will be 250,000 euros,” Eckert said. In 2014, hepatitis C expenditures will therefore amount to about 650 million euros … with no restriction in care
At the end of January, the French National Health Insurance Fund for Employees (CNAMTS) announced an increase of 3.3% in the expenditures of the general social security system in 2014, particularly due to drugs indicated for chronic hepatitis C treatment. But this estimate did not take into account the regulation mechanism.
The executive announced on March 18 that the national healthcare expenditure target (ONDAM) that was fixed at 178.3 billion euros in 2014 should finally be lower by 300 million euros.
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