QUEENSLAND pharmacist Matthew Bellgrove is calling on the Federal Government to consider "modern compounding" as part of the solution to the escalating cost of orphan drugs used to treat rare diseases.
Bellgrove, who is based on the Gold Coast, said while there were some orphan drugs that should only be sourced through the manufacturer which spent many years developing them, "there are also evidence-based treatments that can be safely and legally compounded here in Australia in government-approved compounding laboratories for a fraction of the cost".
He said governments could then encourage drug companies to develop medicines for other rare conditions that don't yet have an effective treatment.
The TGA's orphan drug program provides subsidies to sponsors to bring medicines for a small patient population to the market, making them available to those who would not otherwise be able to access the medications.
Bellgrove highlighted an article in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics which called into question the cost effectiveness of drug companies being encouraged to develop orphan drugs, when much cheaper alternatives could be sourced.
To view the article CLICK HERE.
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