Since the end of 2014, pharmaceutical companies have the possibility to submit an application to the Riziv/Inami to obtain funds to make new medicines accessible faster for patients, for diseases for which no treatment exists. Although 7 million euro is ready available, no company seems to be interested.

Pharmaceutical companies can file an application with Riziv/Inami to obtain an accelerated contribution for an innovative drug, even before registration and regularization of reimbursement of the drug. In this way, the government tries to get new agents that treat a serious disease two years faster to patients.

However, eight months after the start of the project no company submitted a dossier. “Apparently, the pharmaceutical industry has adopted a wait and see attitude,” said Ri De Ridder of Riziv/Inami.

It is not entirely clear why no companies have tried to make use of this opportunity. Stefaan Fiers, spokesman for pharma.be, suspects that the conditions to obtain funds are not clear enough. It is true that the early reimbursement of the holding also requires a financial effort.

(Source: Het Nieuwsblad)