The EBA met with the Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine to discuss the conclusion of the MEAs and the related issue of HTA

21/ 10/ 2024

Last week, representatives of the European Business Association and the American Chamber of Commerce met with Ukraines Deputy Minister of Health, Edem Adamanov, to discuss managed entry agreements (MEAs) and the related issue of health technology assessment (HTA). EBA Health Care Committee Manager Olena Sytenok raised several important issues that, in the business communitys view, would make the MEA process more transparent and predictable for the state, patients, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. The discussion included the fair approach to prioritising the start of negotiations, particularly the use of a criteria-based approach considering the burden of disease, its impact on patients and their quality of life, and the long-term impact on the countrys economy, not limited to the immediate budgetary impact. Such an approach would not only ensure that the most vulnerable groups receive access to medications but also promote the rational use of state funds, even with limited budgets. Additionally, the EBA believes that the risks associated with currency fluctuations should be shared between the manufacturer and the state. The price fixed in hryvnia in a three-year contract should be adjusted annually to avoid losses for the manufacturer caused by significant exchange rate volatility. Experts from the Health Сare Committee of the EBA also highlighted that the transparency of the negotiation process would be enhanced by providing manufacturers with information on the allocated procurement budget, the volume of goods planned for purchase by the state, and the need for the pharmaceutical product. The EBA expresses its sincere gratitude to Mr. Adamanov for the constructive dialogue and hopes for further cooperation and the establishment of a working group to address this issue, taking into account the agreements reached during the meeting.

Last week, representatives of the European Business Association and the American Chamber of Commerce met with Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Health, Edem Adamanov, to discuss managed entry agreements (MEAs) and the related issue of health technology assessment (HTA).

EBA Health Care Committee Manager Olena Sytenok raised several important issues that, in the business community’s view, would make the MEA process more transparent and predictable for the state, patients, and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The discussion included the fair approach to prioritising the start of negotiations, particularly the use of a criteria-based approach considering the burden of disease, its impact on patients and their quality of life, and the long-term impact on the country’s economy, not limited to the immediate budgetary impact. Such an approach would not only ensure that the most vulnerable groups receive access to medications but also promote the rational use of state funds, even with limited budgets.

Additionally, the EBA believes that the risks associated with currency fluctuations should be shared between the manufacturer and the state. The price fixed in hryvnia in a three-year contract should be adjusted annually to avoid losses for the manufacturer caused by significant exchange rate volatility.

Experts from the Health Сare Committee of the EBA also highlighted that the transparency of the negotiation process would be enhanced by providing manufacturers with information on the allocated procurement budget, the volume of goods planned for purchase by the state, and the need for the pharmaceutical product.

The EBA expresses its sincere gratitude to Mr. Adamanov for the constructive dialogue and hopes for further cooperation and the establishment of a working group to address this issue, taking into account the agreements reached during the meeting.