300 million in economic returns for public finance against an expense of 1,3 billion euros, with Novartis Italia alone, 72 million euros (180 in 3 years) for the NHS relating to the company's commitment to clinical trials and over 184 million euros in savings permitted by the supply of generic medicines and biosimilars.
These are the data contained in the report “A case study on the evaluation of the impacts generated by pharmaceutical companies from a public perspective”, written for the CREA Health Study Center directed by Federico Spandonaro, professor of Health Economics at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and presented today in Rome at the Sala Capitolare of the Senate during the conference "Pharmaceuticals: a value for Italy".
According to the analysis, the pharmaceutical industry has made an important contribution to the balance of public finances Italian companies, favoring parallel investments in research and development.
During the presentation, the results of the study were presented, based on the financial statements and activities of Novartis Italia Italia in the years 2012-2014. The contribution of the pharmaceutical industry to the state budget from an economic and financial point of view was examined in detail.
"The need to contain public expenditure is evident, but cost cutting and reduction "maneuvers" often do not take into account their dynamic effects, overestimating the actual savings obtainable" he commented Federico Spandonaro. "Moreover, in recent years, Healthcare has made a great contribution to recovery and its costs (particularly those of pharmaceuticals) grow significantly less than the average cost of the Public Administration - added the professor - It is therefore worth carefully rethinking the methods of intervention, considering their overall effects both in terms of public finance and industrial development".
On the basis of the data presented by Crea Sanità, pharmaceutical expenditure for Novartis products in 2014 settled at 7% of total national expenditure: about 85% concerns pharmaceutical specialties and generics. The direct impact on public finances, however, according to the study is significantly lower due to factors such as citizens' sharing of expenses, the discounts imposed on pharmaceutical companies and the VAT on the sale of medicines. In addition, in the same reference year, the savings deriving from the offer of generic and biosimilar medicines can be quantified at over 184 million euros, only for Novartis.
Still with regard to health expenditure - the analysis by Crea Sanità maintains - it is important to examine the cost avoidance, that is, the cost avoided thanks to the contribution of the pharmaceutical industry with clinical trials, for which the companies bear the costs of supporting the assistance of patients involved in their trials, which for Novartis is estimated at 71 million euros in 2014 and 177 in the three-year period 2012-2014.
According to Federico Spandonaro, therefore, the effective net impact on public finance appears 24-30% lower than that which can be inferred from the analysis of gross public expenditure.
