A U.S. pharmaceutical company that has made millions of dollars of profit in Turkey has driven a bargain to "death" by using patients and the media. Knowing that Turkey does not let any of its patients waiting for medicine suffer, the firm wants half of Turkey's drug budget, saying "You cannot refuse patients' demands for medication before the election."
This pharmaceutical company started an ugly bargaining process for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare genetic disease affecting muscles and mostly seen in infants. The U.S. firm has used doctors, patients and media in Turkey as a bargaining chip against the state, even though it is not yet on the reimbursement list in the United States. The company, which requested $125,000 per dose from Turkey for 3,000 patients, stated that Turkey had no chance of refusing or holding patients before the election, stressing that they will not be able to deduct 5 cents from their desired price.
Aware of the fact that politicians, particularly President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, closely follow news about patients, the firm told the Social Security Institution (SGK) that they will not enter into price negotiation with news about a new waiting patient every day and that they determined their final price at $125,000.
In the ministry's evaluation process concerning the medicine, the company, which recounts the new patients through the media with the help of the doctors they negotiated with and sends them up to the TBMM, aims to sway public opinion with the news of a sick infant every day.
Despite being FDA approved, the firm has yet to be reimbursed in any country in the world. While research continues regarding the effectiveness of the medicine on patients, experts say that a patient should take at least six doses a year. The company wants TL 10 billion ($2.8 billion) for 3,000 patients in Turkey.
Noting that talks with the company continue and that Turkey has not let any of its patients suffer, SGK officials said that the company continuously brings patients to the public's attention through the doctors they negotiated with during the talks and that this weakened the state's hand.
"Turkey can spend $3 billion for a patient if necessary. The state's money is the nation's money. We spend it for the people until the last penny. However, it is unethical for the company to make ugly bargains by abusing the suffering of patients, and we will not allow it," SGK officials said.
