Nick Guldemond on cancer medication expenditure

Nick Guldemond, Professor of Integrated Care and Technology, CEO and founder of Medical Field Lab, posted on LinkedIn:

“As expenditure on cancer medication in the Netherlands reaches record levels, organizations call for more research to ensure the drugs are used sustainably and for EU member states to keep pace with established plans to ensure their citizens don’t get left behind. In 2012, expenditure on cancer medication was around a quarter of the total expenditure on medicines, which increased to over half by 2021, according to the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation (IKNL). The IKNL found that the Netherlands spent approximately €10 billion over the past ten years on oncolytics. While such drugs can extend the life of some cancer patients, not all of them benefit.

The IKNL said its findings highlight a need to identify better which patients benefit the most from drugs so that they can be used more targeted in the future. The IKNL said increasing oncolytic’s costs puts pressure on hospitals’ budgets, so they may have to reduce their services to treat other conditions. Governments have to make trade-offs between how much the burden of a disease can be reduced and how much its citizens are willing to pay for this aid.”

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Source: Nick Guldemond/LinkedIn