France judges 800 medicines ineffective

4 June 2001

France's health products safety agency, the AFSSAPS, has completed itsreview of 4,490 reimbursable drugs, initiated two years ago by then-Labor Minister Martine Aubry and Health Minister Bernard Kouchner, and found the effectiveness of 800 of them to be "weak."

The list of 800 reportedly includes vasodilators, magnesium-based products and bronchial fluidifiers. The first phase of the project identified 658 drugs of doubtful efficacy, and for these price and reimbursement reductions will be imposed over a three-year period, which are expected to cost their manufacturers about 720 million French francs ($94.3 million).

Many observers expect the government to apply similar measures to the complete list rather than just cancelling their reimbursement. The products are manufactured mainly by smaller French independent companies, and it is thought unlikely that a product wipe-out will be introduced ahead of the presidential elections. The list contains a significant number of generic products, which the government is currently trying to promote.

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