Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada.
Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
BMC Cancer. 2017 Dec 28;17(1):903. doi: 10.1186/s12885-017-3888-y.
Globally, cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality. High treatment cost, partly owing to higher prices of anti-cancer drugs, presents a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems. The aim of the present study was to survey and compare retail prices of anti-cancer drugs between high, middle and low income countries in the South-East Asia, Western Pacific and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
Cross-sectional survey design was used for the present study. Pricing data from ten counties including one from South-East Asia, two from Western Pacific and seven from Eastern Mediterranean regions were used in this study. Purchasing power parity (PPP)-adjusted mean unit prices for 26 anti-cancer drug presentations (similar pharmaceutical form, strength, and pack size) were used to compare prices of anti-cancer drugs across three regions. A structured form was used to extract relevant data. Data were entered and analysed using Microsoft Excel®.
Overall, Taiwan had the lowest mean unit prices while Oman had the highest prices. Six (23.1%) and nine (34.6%) drug presentations had a mean unit price below US$100 and between US$100 and US$500 respectively. Eight drug presentations (30.7%) had a mean unit price of more than US$1000 including cabazitaxel with a mean unit price of $17,304.9/vial. There was a direct relationship between income category of the countries and their mean unit price; low-income countries had lower mean unit prices. The average PPP-adjusted unit prices for countries based on their income level were as follows: low middle-income countries (LMICs): US$814.07; high middle income countries (HMICs): US$1150.63; and high income countries (HICs): US$1148.19.
There is a great variation in pricing of anticancer drugs in selected countires and within their respective regions. These findings will allow policy makers to compare prices of anti-cancer agents with neighbouring countries and develop policies to ensure accessibility and affordability of anti-cancer drugs.
在全球范围内，癌症是导致死亡的主要原因之一。高昂的治疗费用，部分原因是抗癌药物价格较高，给患者和医疗系统带来了巨大负担。本研究旨在调查和比较东南亚、西太平洋和东地中海地区高、中、低收入国家的抗癌药物零售价格。
本研究采用横断面调查设计。本研究使用了来自东南亚、西太平洋和东地中海地区的 10 个国家的数据，包括一个国家的数据。使用经过购买力平价（PPP）调整的 26 种抗癌药物制剂的单位平均价格（相同的药物剂型、强度和包装大小）来比较三个地区的抗癌药物价格。使用结构化表格提取相关数据。使用 Microsoft Excel®输入和分析数据。
总体而言，中国台湾的平均单位价格最低，而阿曼的价格最高。六种（23.1%）和九种（34.6%）药物制剂的平均单位价格分别低于 100 美元和 100-500 美元。八种药物制剂（30.7%）的平均单位价格超过 1000 美元，其中卡巴他赛的平均单位价格为 17304.9 美元/瓶。国家的收入类别与其平均单位价格之间存在直接关系；低收入国家的平均单位价格较低。根据收入水平，国家的平均 PPP 调整后单位价格如下：中低收入国家（LMICs）：814.07 美元；中高收入国家（HMICs）：1150.63 美元；高收入国家（HICs）：1148.19 美元。
在选定的国家和各自的地区，抗癌药物的定价存在很大差异。这些发现将使政策制定者能够比较邻国抗癌药物的价格，并制定政策，确保抗癌药物的可及性和可负担性。
