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    Switzerland’s drug approval process lags behind Europe | What are your experiences with the system?
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    Switzerland’s drug approval process lags behind Europe | What are your experiences with the system?


    According to a recent study, medicines are approved on average 249 days later in Switzerland than by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

    The Swiss pharmaceutical association Interpharma said this means that access to vital medicines is becoming increasingly difficult.

    The benchmarking study conducted by the pharmaceutical industry and the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, Swissmedic, reveals that companies are submitting their applications later in Switzerland compared to Europe, and that the duration of the review process has also increased, Interpharma announced on Wednesday.

    On average, a drug is approved in Switzerland 249 days later than by the EMA, which represents a 48% increase compared to the previous year. Companies submitted their applications for authorisation to Swissmedic 244 days later than to the EMA.

    Interpharma attributes this to the poor framework conditions in Switzerland, which have caused the Swiss market to receive progressively less priority.

    https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/multinational-companies/drug-approval-in-switzerland-much-slower-than-in-europe/84850715?utm_source=multiple&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=news_en&utm_content=o&utm_term=wpblock_highlighted-compact-news-carousel

    Posted by BezugssystemCH1903

    View 8 Comments

    8 Comments

    1. lurk779 on

      Some much better data points would be:

      * Out of drugs approved in EU, how many end up being approved in CH?
      * For those that are not approved, why?
      * Why do the companies submit the Swiss approval requests 244 days later? And how does this relate to *”CH bad, drugs approved 249 later in the EU”* claim? Is the actual process just 5 days slower?

      … but I guess that’s not the kind of data that pharma wants you to see 🙂

    2. PrinzBirujin on

      there was a medicine that would‘ve helped with my condition. But it was‘nt approved in Switzerland at that time, it was around 2014. Only in America. The other option was my biggest surgery with the possibility to die. I had no choice because waiting would have resultet in death so i had to go trpugh surgery. If i would‘ve got the medicine at that time the surgery would‘nt have been necessary… Meanwhile that medicine is fortunatly approved and many others in my situation have gotten it and they all improved their health better than i did with the surgery…

    3. symolan on

      I trust EMA enough that I’d be willing to waive the Swissmedic approval process. What’s approved in Europe should be valid here too.

      I know of a case where a EU approved drug should have done additional studies for the Swiss market. Guess what, that wasn’t done as the market’s too small for Sonderzügli.

    5. SimonSim211 on

      The first question one needs to ask is, why do we still need this, could we not just accept the European one?
      The answer will be (for some reason that I don’t know but probably is logical): yes, we need them, but not for everything, so maybe we can add a much reduced procedure that takes less than a month on top of the EU’s one (that can in an ideal wold be done parallel to the EUs procedure).

    7. BezugssystemCH1903 on

      I notice this particularly with ADHD and the chronic genetic defect in my bones.
      For both, there is something like a “recommended” medication to start with. Generics and cheaper medications are only available for both if the initial medication causes “Severe Side Effects”.

      That’s pretty great./s

      With ADHD, I’m on my fourth through and it’s been working great for the last few years. We also had to switch because there was a supply shortage.

      For the genetic bone defect, there are around 12 approved medications in Germany, but only 2 in Switzerland. However, after consulting my health insurance company and Swissmedic in disbelief, I can only take the cheaper and better dosage if I am a 100% IV recipient. Because my illness is progressive.

      But fortunately I work 100% of the time.

      A quick maths example:

      The medication I’m taking now costs around CHF 3000 a year. So I pay CHF 1000 and my health insurance company pays CHF 2000.

      The better alternative would only cost around CHF 1000 a year. That would reduce the burden on my health insurance. But they don’t care.

      And that doesn’t include the full check-ups every three years. Which can cost an additional CHF 6000-8000.

      What I’ve also learnt in the years since my diagnosis is that the health insurance company doesn’t care whether you get preventive treatment. In the end, you have to see for yourself how you deal with it.

      That really makes you think.

    8. Shooppow on

      Here’s an example: I have PCOS, which can cause insulin resistance, and if left untreated, eventually diabetes. There is one gold standard drug treatment for this: Metformin which costs 11.30 per 50 tablet box. My insurance made a big stink about covering it because I am not a diabetic. Metformin, along with a healthy lifestyle, can prevent diabetes in people at risk for it. But they’d rather harass me and my doctor than just cover a cheap pill??! MAKE THAT SHIT MAKE SENSE! It’s because SwissMedic didn’t include PCOS in the “indications”.