Cancer Alliance to join Roche drug cost case
The Competition Tribunal
has given the Cancer Alliance the greenlight to participate in a case involving
Swiss healthcare company, Roche.
The pharmaceutical giant and its subsidiaries are being challenged over the alleged excessive pricing of breast cancer medicine.
The drug, Trastuzumab, is sold in both public and private healthcare sectors in South Africa.
It’s used to treat breast cancers known as HER2 positive.
In its complaint referral, the Commission accuses Roche of breaking competition laws.
It argues the high prices violate basic human rights and deny cancer victims access to lifesaving treatment.
The Cancer Alliance is expected to make submissions on what it says is the harm suffered by both public and private sector patients in not having affordable access to Trastuzumab.
It also wants the tribunal to come up with an appropriate approach to deal with excessive pricing referrals of patented medicine.
READ: Women urged to get annual breast cancer screenings
Roche has previously said it had been in negotiations with the Department of Health to improve equitable access to trastuzumab by offering a significantly reduced and cost-effective treatment option.
It said the option supports the testing of breast cancer patients in the public sector for the HER2 gene and making the drug available for those who test positive.
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