Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić attended the signing of a new agreement between the Republic Health Insurance Fund and British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, a move that will open access to innovative treatments in 10 new indications for some of the most serious forms of cancer.
The agreement was signed following a meeting with the United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Karen Pierce. It marks the continuation of cooperation that is expected to bring modern oncology therapies to Serbian patients suffering from breast, lung, bladder, liver, bile duct, and ovarian cancers.
Vučić said the agreement is important for a large number of people living with serious diagnoses, stressing that the new therapies concern diseases affecting thousands of families across Serbia. 
Vučić Highlights Quality and Price of the Therapies
The Serbian president placed special emphasis on the quality of the medicines covered by the agreement. He said Serbia had secured the best and most expensive cancer drugs, adding that, in his words, there are no better ones in the world.
He also said Health Minister Zlatibor Lončar had described these therapies as the best available anywhere, which Vučić presented as another reason for satisfaction.
Vučić further pointed to the terms under which the medicines had been secured, saying he was proud that the United Kingdom and AstraZeneca had agreed to provide Serbia with very expensive therapies at exceptionally favorable prices. According to his statement, only the United States had previously received such advantageous pricing.
Karen Pierce Says 10 Innovative Drugs Will Be Added to the RFZO List
Karen Pierce welcomed the signing of the agreement and said that 10 innovative cancer drugs would be added to the list of the Republic Health Insurance Fund.
She said the therapies are intended for the treatment of breast, lung, ovarian, and liver cancers, and that they will contribute to the treatment of patients across Serbia.
One of the key messages of the agreement is the availability of treatment. Once the new medicines are placed on the RFZO list, Serbian citizens who meet the required medical criteria will be able to receive them free of charge or with only minimal co-payment.
Public Healthcare System Gives Patients a Major Advantage
The text emphasizes that this is one of the major strengths of Serbia’s public healthcare system. Patients do not have to pay tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros out of pocket, which is especially important when it comes to therapies of this kind.
It also states that AstraZeneca has for years been providing some of its newest medicines to Serbian patients completely free of charge, even before they are officially added to the RFZO reimbursement list.
Compared with Western European countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, these medicines are generally available by prescription, but patients often have to pay first and wait for the state to reimburse them later. According to the supplied text, the reimbursement process there often takes longer than it does in Serbia.
The same text also says Serbia is sometimes able to secure access to these medicines faster than some Western European countries, thanks to successful negotiations with pharmaceutical companies.
High-Cost Drugs, But Free Access for Patients in Serbia
As for the United States, the supplied text says the situation is dramatically different. Prices for innovative therapies such as Imfinzi, Enhertu, Tagrisso, and Lynparza range from $100,000 to more than $400,000 per patient per year.
It adds that even insured patients often pay significant amounts out of pocket, while those without strong insurance coverage find such therapies practically out of reach.
According to the supplied text, centralized negotiations conducted by the Republic Health Insurance Fund, along with good relations with leading pharmaceutical companies, have enabled Serbia to secure some of the best possible prices in the world and provide fully free access to the most advanced medicines for its citizens.
Vučić concluded that these drugs will prolong lives for many people and bring hope to families, describing it as a day without a single “but” — a day when the most important thing is being done: helping people.
Source: Kurir Photo:Instagram/Budućnost Srbije
