- To promote, develop and contribute to improving awareness about the importance of scientific research and innovation within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences industries in Lithuania
- To promote direct foreign investment in Lithuania within innovative pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences industries, thus contributing to successful market development, the growth of the Lithuanian economy and the creation of new jobs
- To support Lithuanian patients’ right to new and innovative medicine accessibility
- To support The Innovative Medicines Initiative and spread awareness about its principles, goals and importance
- To support the European Commission’s proposals regarding the EU’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and to contribute towards its implementation in Lithuania
- To encourage and support the best/highest/top professional and business ethical standards, based on fair and transparent activity, strictly adhering to ethics code of conduct
- To represent our members’ interests and opinions within Lithuanian public institutions, whilst strictly adhering to the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and/or the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act, the legislation of the Lithuanian Republic and other related laws within the European Union.
About LAWG
About LAWG
Local American Working Group (LAWG) is a standing commitee established under the American Chamber of Commerce in Lithuania, which represents innovative pharmaceutical, biotechnological and life sciences industry based in Lithuania.
Why?
Accessibility of new medicines
Lithuania remains among the outsiders in the EU in terms of patient’s access to innovative treatment and medicines, although the expenditure for medicines in Lithuania is far from the smallest in the EU. To change the situation, LAWG proposes three principal decisions:
1) Ensure transparent, public and objective medicines’ compensation policy
2) Make the medicine compensation cost more effective, promote competition among generic and off-patent medicines and increase investments in pharmaceutical industry
3) Adopt the internationally accepted models of improving patient’s access to innovative medicines
Increased transparency
Overly bureaucratic, non-transparent and non-public medicines’ compensation procedure creates a favorable climate for corruption, which fosters public distrust towards the Lithuanian health system. In order to increase transparency, we have to first invest in the development of competence and independence of people who are responsible for medicine’s compensation. Second, all the information about the decision making regarding compensation of medicines has to be accessible publicly. Third, decision making has to be objective and well-motivated.
Effective cost management
The budget spent for generic and off-patent medicines amounts to an astonishing 47% of National Health Insurance Fund’s budget. In contrast, in some countries the budget for generic medicines’ compensation amounts to only 20%. Lithuania has to adopt the good practices of such countries, therefore, we have to carry out real measures aimed at fostering competition between generic medicines’ manufacturers, thus decreasing the price. We have to evaluate the effectiveness of currently compensated medicines and make sure that the usage and compensation of medicines of little effectiveness is being limited. Lithuania should also to take measures to ensure rational medicine consumption, for example, prepare medicine prescription methodology, including the requirements for the change of medicines. In this way, it will be possible to re-allocate the saved funds in the NHIF and ensure bigger accessibility of innovative medicines.
Patient interests
Lithuanian patients deserve the right to easily access the most advanced and innovative treatment, including new, innovative medicines and to pay a fair price for it. Decision makers adopt internationally accepted models of improving patient access to innovative medicines.