KEI Research Note 2010:2
23 July 2010

Introduction

Fabry's disease is a rare genetic multisystemic disorder associated with progressive lipid accumulation and cell damage, leading to a variety of aliments, including some that are life-threatening, including kidney failure, heart attacks and strokes. The disease was identified in 1898 independently by both Dr William Anderson in England and Dr Johannes Fabry in Germany. Other names for the disease include:

I was recently asked the following question:

Jamie
What is your view on the treatment of prize funds? By all standards it is treated as a radical off the wall proposal when in fact it is market based. Why is there so much resistance?

My response was as follows:

As the U.S. considers health reform legislation, it is useful to review how countries rank in terms of life expectancy at birth.

From the 2009 UNDP Human Development Report statistical appendix:

Korean civil society has asked KEI to disseminate this request for solidarity and action in their efforts to reduce the price of Gleevec, a leukemia treatment pill. The current price is approximately 2,300 USD per month for an adult patient and the Korean government has been sued by Novartis for trying to reduce the price a 14%. Korean civil society is also requesting Novartis to introduce a higher form, 400 mg, in Korea.

REQUEST for Solidarity: