PHARMACY
Clinical Studies Bring Investments to the Czech Republic “The most important area is Oncology. This is not a Czech speciality – as regards the development of new medicines, Oncology is the most dynamic sector worldwide. Studies of medicines in the area of Rheumatology, the treatment of cardiovascular and neurological diseases, too, are strongly represented, as are studies in Immunology/Infectology,” says Jakub Dvořáček, Director of the Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry.
dising or cutting down taxes, but ensuring a good and efficient administration of application, simplification of the approval process, etc. In brief, it would be necessary to reduce the administrative burden, especially to shorten the time it takes for a study to start after the application has been filed. Alternatively, to support cooperation with patient organisations, which may help with recruiting patients for the studies.
In the past few years, innovative medicines have dramatically changed physicians’ treatment possibilities in all the medical branches, thus improving patients’ prospects of recovery, or at least of improving their condition. How much money do pharmaceutical firms in the Czech Republic invest in the development of new medicines each year? Although the primary research of new medicines is not strongly represented in the Czech Republic, there is a relatively large number of clinical studies being carried out. This requires a big investment. Studies are usually financed by pharmaceutical firms or a consortium of firms, with thousands of new patients being included each year. Clinical studies bring investments to the Czech Republic worth approximately CZK 1.5 billion and create a large number of jobs. | 14
Photo: Association of Innovative Pharmaceutical Industry archives, Pixabay
Do you consider the money being expended on the research of innovative medicines in the Czech Republic adequate, or can you see any gaps and, if so, where? Naturally it would be welcome if investment in research could increase, or if at least it could be stabilised at the current level. Competition from other countries is keen, and there are indicators showing that the volume of clinical testing might be reduced in future. That is why the state should support these investments. This does not mean subsi-
Can you mention the benefits and the specific results of collaboration across the sector in the development and research of new innovative medicines in the Czech Republic? There are benefits galore. Physicians participating in the clinical evaluation benefit from being able to acquire valuable expert experience of medicinal preparations, which in future may become the common standard. Often the studies focus on diseases for which no efficient treatment exists. An experimental drug may be prescribed to a patient suffering from a serious disease, having reached a stage where all the available treatment has failed and the study is his or her last hope. Here the testing acquires a tremendous moral dimension. The economic effect is high on both the individual level (the patient pays nothing; on the contrary, in the early phases of the research project, volunteers are paid) and the macroeconomic level.
