2023-12-23 06:58:00
Around fifty medications for children with cancer that have not been reimbursed until now will be reimbursed from January 1, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) announced on Saturday. An initial budget of 3.2 million euros is planned for this purpose.
The drugs in question are called “off label” because the pharmaceutical industry is not motivated to make the necessary developments to have their use recognized in children, explains the minister’s office. “We have scientific proof of the relevance of these drugs but we have no official recognition since only the pharmaceutical laboratory which developed the drug can have its use recognized in children. And the laboratories generally do not do this”details the founder of KickCancer, Delphine Heenen.
Consequently, many children with cancer encountered difficulties in accessing certain essential medicines, although they were part of the standard treatment protocol, since they were not reimbursed, KickCancer lamented last year, a foundation whose mission is to cure all children suffering from this disease.
“Each year, around one in 4 children with cancer in Belgium are affected by non-reimbursement for their medications. This figure is unacceptably too high! I am therefore particularly pleased that a structural solution has been found to this problem. Children with cancer will be able to access standard treatments much more easily”rejoices Delphine Heenen.
“The cost can vary enormously. I know families for whom it cost between 300 and 500 euros per month. And for us, it also happened to my son who was then 12 years old and who weighed 50 kg. Like 50 kg, it’s an adult dose, over 18 months, it cost us 30,000 euros”continues the founder of KickCancer.
Concretely, in an agreement which has just been concluded and which comes into force in January, an annex refers to the majority of medicines not reimbursed to date and which will be from January 1 (a little over fifty), specifies the office of the Minister of Health.
The convention has also set up a steering committee which will meet annually to monitor its application, which will allow oncologists and patients to possibly complete this list of medications.
frank vandenbroucke minister of health reimbursement of cancer drugs
1703358719
#months #cost #euros #treatments #reimbursed #children #cancer
