Oncology Physician Life

Chapter 11 Chapter 10 Sky-high priced imported drugs

Medical Department of Outpatient Building.

Bi Chun, the director of the medical department, and Tao Dayong, the vice president of the hospital office, sat on the left and right seats of the conference room. The 20-square-meter conference room was full of staff from the Medical Department and researchers from the Laboratory of Cancer and Dorm Principles.

Among them, Bi Chun, the director of the medical department, is 58 years old, and will retire to the second line in two years. He has been engaged in anti-cancer medicine research for more than 30 years, and he has only retired to this position in recent years. The role of the big family manager of the Department of Medicine, in his spare time, he will also guide the research doctor's SCI papers, and then try to help those cancer patients, find new drugs that can break through the current treatment effect at home and abroad, and cooperate with pharmaceutical companies and medical devices Company deals.

Compared with Bi Chun, Tao Dayong, the vice president of the hospital office, looks much younger, only in his early forties, but the work of the hospital office sounds nice, but it is actually a hospital handyman, mediating disputes between doctors and patients, and taking care of unpaid medical staff. Doctors are looking for part-time jobs in the hospital, and then they are cooperating with the work of various departments. This position is like doing internal affairs. Serve patients, and sometimes even play some thankless roles.

Li Xiaojun, the attending doctor of tumor surgery, sat on the left seat and glanced at Zhang Xiaoyun, the sales general manager of Saman Technology Company beside him.Pei Xiaonan came late, and when she came in, everyone was already there.

58-year-old Bi Chun, with a dignified Fangzheng face in the sun, said: "This meeting, everyone has already known about it beforehand. For the introduction of Saman Technology, which has been listed in the domestic market for the past five years as an agent, Do you have any opinions on the new anti-cancer drug?"

Li Xiaojun couldn't wait to say: "Director, then let me start by throwing bricks and stones, and talk about my opinion?"

Bi Chun took a sip of tea and nodded: "You are the attending doctor of tumours, and you are also the recommender of this new drug introduction. You can't think of it better."

Li Xiaojun thought for a moment in his heart, opened his mouth and said: "Everyone knows that the research on anticancer drugs at this stage can be said to be making breakthroughs in the world with each passing day. In the past, many domestic cancer patients were unable to buy foreign anticancer drugs. Purchasing on behalf of others is either to find relatives and friends abroad to buy on behalf of them, or to go abroad for treatment. Not to mention the huge cost, it also delays the time of medication, but the current stage is different from the past. The domestic medical level is gradually improving, and many departments are following In line with international standards, a variety of new drugs have begun to appear on the market in China, which is an additional way out for patients. This time, our hospital has introduced these newly launched drugs from the American laboratory represented by saman technology company, which is beneficial to cancer patients in our hospital. It can not only replace some outdated broad-spectrum drugs, but also reduce the dependence of patients on chemotherapy.”

Zhang Xiaoyun hurriedly struck while the iron was hot: "These new drugs that our company represents are all new drugs that have been marketed in China by saman's American laboratory in the past five years, and they have all achieved good clinical effects."

The people below began to discuss in a low voice, Pei Xiaonan looked at the introduction of the new medicine in his hand, and let out a disdainful "cut", which seemed so abrupt in the calm conference room.Bi Chun put down the teacup in his hand, and said: "It seems that our courtyard flowers have different opinions, come on, Xiao Pei, and tell me your opinion."

Pei Xiaonan casually flipped through the new drug introductions of these agents of Saman Technology Company, "The drug is a good drug..."

Zhang Xiaoyun breathed a sigh of relief, with a smile on his face, Pei Xiaonan was quite a decent person.

"but!"

Pei Xiaonan's voice suddenly changed: "It's not so expensive. Let's take this new drug for lymphoma as an example. A course of treatment costs 18.7 US dollars. This drug is different from Novartis' Lbrutinib. Although Novartis' anti-lymphoma drug The cancer drug Lbrutinib is also very expensive, but after all, patients can still use medical insurance. These new drugs represented by Saman Technology are no longer on the list of medical insurance. Whether it is 100 million or 60, for the vast majority of cancer patients in our hospital, It’s all astronomical figures, if you don’t use new drugs, it’s a pity, if you use new drugs, I’m sorry, even if you lose your fortune, you can’t afford it.”

Zhang Xiaoyun sneered twice: "Deputy Director Pei is right, the current domestic cancer treatment is like this, as more and more foreign new drugs are launched in the domestic market and enter the Chinese market, the cost will naturally continue to rise, everyone is the same .”

Pei Xiaonan can’t deny it, “Recently, the Lancet published a paper, which gave me some new views on domestic anticancer drugs. The Lancet conducted a survey of 1.4 cancer patient families in China. These cancer patient families The average annual income is 8607 US dollars, which is more than 6 RMB, but the average annual expenditure on medicine is 9737 US dollars, which is nearly 10 RMB. The cost of treating a cancer patient exceeds the entire income of a family! Even if we The hospital spends a lot of money to introduce these new drugs, but the question is, can our patients afford it?"

Bi Chun pondered for a moment: "Then according to Xiao Pei's opinion?"

"More than 80% of domestic anti-cancer drugs are almost from Europe and the United States, and the price is high. In order to solve this problem, our government has been trying to negotiate to lower the price of imported drugs. On the other hand, the government is also encouraging domestic drugs. Biopharmaceutical companies, on the premise of being legal and not infringing on patents, produce alternative drugs! The familiar domestic lung cancer targeted drug Conmana is a typical example!"

Zhang Xiaoyun retorted: "But as far as I know, many domestic scientific research workers actually look down on Conmana, because from the perspective of pure pharmaceuticals, Conmana is not brand new, but imported drugs through transformation. Iressa and Tarceva are imported drugs, and patients only need to take Iressa once a day, but Conmana needs to take it three times, which has greatly reduced the effect.”

Pei Xiaonan nodded and admitted that Zhang Xiaoyun was right: "But I still like Conmana, because it is cheap and most importantly, the common people can afford it. In fact, the success of Conmana has played an important role in the domestic innovative pharmaceutical industry. The great impetus has attracted a large number of patriotic scientific researchers with ideals to return to China to start businesses. Chidamide is an example. Chidamide is also an original domestic anticancer drug for the treatment of lymphoma. It costs The price of the drug is 2.5 RMB. Although it is still not cheap, chidamide has created a new model. The patient buys the drug for 3 months, and the pharmaceutical factory will give it away for 3 months. If it is effective, the patient will buy the drug for another 3 months. Pharmaceutical companies will give free medicines for life, so the cost of chidamide is controlled within 15 yuan, although this is still not a small amount, but for cancer patients, at least it is no longer a bottomless pit.”

Bi Chun didn't speak, but looked at Tao Dayong, the vice president of the hospital office.Tao Dayong nodded: "Indeed, what Deputy Director Pei said makes sense."

Pei Xiaonan continued: "The Chinese government has been sending out signals that China urgently needs effective and affordable new drugs. In this environment, a large number of domestic innovative biopharmaceutical companies have emerged, such as Hengrui, BeiGene, Microchip, BeiGene Da, we can’t pin all our hopes on imported drugs, even if we have introduced all these imported drugs represented by saman technology company, we still have to consider whether our cancer patients can afford such high drug costs!”

Bi Chun pondered for a while, looked at Pei Xiaonan, and then at the introduction about the introduction of new drugs in his hand, "Deputy Director Pei has a certain point, as doctors, we still have to put patients in the first place for consideration. But it is undeniable that the availability of imported new drugs is also a kind of hope for patients, so let’s introduce a small batch first, find families who can afford it in the laboratory of the hospital, and conduct clinical data trials first. When large batches are used in oncology departments, let’s see the effect of the medicine.”

Li Xiaojun's face was ugly. He thought that he could introduce new imported drugs in large batches in the department this time, but he didn't expect to kill Pei Xiaonan halfway.Zhang Xiaoyun's face also became gloomy, he glanced at Pei Xiaonan, turned and left the meeting room.

Tao Dayong, the vice president of the hospital office, was about to leave when the cell phone in his white coat suddenly rang. After he connected the cell phone, he immediately became serious. After listening to the call, he looked at Li Xiaojun who hadn't left yet, and said: " Doctor Li, come with me to the office."

Li Xiaojun looked at Tao Dayong's ugly face, and raised his heart in his throat, guessing that it might be related to the phone call just now, but he didn't know exactly what happened.

Pei Xiaonan walked out of the conference room, and as soon as she left the outpatient building, she ran into her assistant Song Qian.Song Qian approached mysteriously and said, "Sister Pei, have you heard?"

Pei Xiaonan was at a loss: "What did you hear?"

Song Qian said in a low voice: "Jiang Li, director of the Children's Oncology Department who just airborne, heard that she received a teaching operation from an external tumor intern this morning. During the operation, it was found that the patient was not a gallbladder polyp but a gallbladder cancer. It was transferred, and Dr. Jiang Li reported it to the hospital office, saying that it was a medical malpractice caused by Dr. Li Xiaojun's misdiagnosis!"

Pei Xiaonan frowned. She heard about Jiang Li's return to China, but she didn't expect that she would make such a big mess when she came back. She asked Song Qian to go back to the laboratory first, and she walked aside to call Jiang Li.

Jiang Li is queuing up at the restaurant of the hospital.With an empty dinner plate in her hand, she looked at the long queue in front of her and couldn't help standing on her tiptoes. Today, the restaurant has her favorite sweet and sour pork ribs and dry fried beef balls.

Just as she was waiting, her cell phone rang. It was a call from her best friend, Pei Xiaonan.The two were best friends in the dormitory when they were in college, but after graduation, Pei Xiaonan went to the Cancer Institute to pursue scientific research, while she came to the front line to become a doctor, and then she went abroad to study and work for a few years , The two have not broken contact.

As soon as Pei Xiaonan answered the phone, Jiang Li said excitedly on the phone: "Come on, today the restaurant serves braised pork ribs and fried beef balls!"

Pei Xiaonan was a little speechless, and said eagerly: "What time is this? You are still in the mood to eat. What happened to the operation on tumors this morning? Why are you meddling in other tumors from the pediatric oncology department! What a shame! Do you consider yourself a hero? All right, you are waiting for me in the restaurant, and you are not allowed to go anywhere!"

On the other side, Ji Han, who just came out of the ward, received a WeChat message from Tan Tan on his mobile phone. He put away his mobile phone, turned around and walked towards the hospital office.

Just as Wei Chen got the appointment for the surgery in the afternoon and walked over, he saw Ji Han head-on. Before he could speak, Ji Han ignored him.The nurse on the side looked over curiously, and said distressedly: "I feel so sorry for Professor Ji, there must be another surgery, right? I'm leaving in such a hurry!"

(End of this chapter)