Lithuania to appeal to court over drug banned by EC
BNS
Lithuania is considering a possibility to sue the European Commission over a Lithuanian oncological medicine it has banned and to prove its safety.
The EC is demanding that Lithuania ban the sales of this medication, threatening the European Court of Justice and fines amounting to millions. The manufacturers are convinced that it is actually a fight between two companies producing similar drugs, the Lithuanian national TV channel's news programme Panorama has reported.
The Lithuanian State Medicines Control Agency under the Ministry of Health disagrees that the oncological medicine does not comply with the European Union's requirements. The Ministry of Health recommends that the government defend the interests of the Lithuanian manufacturers against the EC.
"That drug was used before we acceded to the EU and we believe that legally we are right to at least some extent and we are trying to defend our manufacturer," Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas said.
Designed to cure cancer, the Lithuanian drug Grasalva was launched before Lithuania joined the European Union, and it was also available in Russian, Ukrainian markets and other Eastern European countries.
Lithuania's accession to the EU brought new drug regulations and now the drug has to be proven for safety, something that has not been done yet.
The drug's manufacturers say that the matter of banning Grasalva is a fight between two companies producing similar drugs. Sicor Biotech produces Grasalva, which is 40 percent cheaper than the analogous Neupogena manifactured by American company Amgen.
2007-08-09
This publication in full or in part may not be reproduced and/or distributed in any form by mass media and/or internet means without prior written permission of JSC “BNS”.
