Cardiac stent prices hiked, reversing December reduction
On 12 December, the drug administration directorate reduced prices for 44 types of heart stents from 27 manufacturers, effective from 16 December.
The December announcement of the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) to lower cardiac stent prices did not come into effect. Instead, in a gazette published yesterday, the directorate increased the prices by Tk2,000 to Tk10,000 depending on the type.
Dr Mir Jamal Uddin, director of the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and a member of the DGDA expert committee, attributed the hike to a market shortage caused by Europe-sourced importers halting supplies after the December price reduction.
"Following the price reduction, Europe-sourced importers filed a writ petition with the High Court. After the case was settled, we met their parent company representatives, who stated they could not supply stents at the reduced price due to potential losses."
The writ was withdrawn on January 10 after DGDA assurance of refixing the price.
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Stents imported from Europe dominate half the market, with American imports covering the remainder.
The importers of European stents refusing to supply stents at a lower price, akin to a strike, created a shortage. "Ensuring patient care solely with American supplies was not feasible," Dr Jamal Uddin said.
According to the notification published Tuesday (2 April), the directorate compared the new prices with those in 2021 and 2022. It, however, did not mention the December announcement.
On 12 December, the drug administration directorate reduced prices for 44 types of heart stents from 27 manufacturers, effective from 16 December.
Europe-sourced importers immediately contested the reduction, pressuring hospitals not to use their stents and filing a writ with the High Court.
While the writ was withdrawn in January, the health secretary after a meeting on February 27 announced that heart rings have to be sold at the prices fixed in December.
But today, the directorate finalised the new prices for 23 types of stents from European manufacturers.
For example, on 12 December, the price of the Alex Plus stent was set at Tk53,000. Now the new price of that stent is Tk60,000, which was Tk63,500 in 2021.
Similarly, the price of the Ultimaster Tansei stent has increased from Tk60,000 to Tk66,000, and the Direct Stent Siro now costs Tk66,000, up from Tk55,000.
Major General Mohammad Yousuf, drug administration director general, confirmed discussions with manufacturing companies and interventional cardiologists in determining the new prices.
Drug Administration Director and spokesperson Md Salauddin clarified that price adjustments resulted from meetings with heart hospitals, cardiologists, and manufacturers.
"All hospitals have been asked to display the new price list for patient and family awareness. The prices have been reduced significantly compared to 2021," Salauddin said.
In response to a question about the increased prices, Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen also said the new price of heart rings has been fixed after discussions with cardiologists and importers.
"We are working tirelessly to ensure the healthcare of the people. Our efforts to control the prices of medicines and medical devices are continuing," he said.
