Economic aspects of pharmacogenomics and gene therapies

Medical Review (Med. pregled), 2024, 60(2), 42-46.

T. Vekov, G. Petrova, E. Becheva-Krajchir, Zh. Kolev

MHAT Heart and Brain
MU – Varna

Abstract. Trends in the development of pharmacogenomics and gene therapies strongly influence pharmaceutical policy and economics in the context of regulation, pricing and reimbursement, which must be appropriately adapted to stimulate the optimal development of pharmacogenomics scientific achievements for the benefit of public health. The proposed economic model for assessing the costs, benefits, and return on investment in gene therapy development concludes that the high costs and inherent uncertainty associated with gene therapy development, small target patient populations, and long-lasting therapeutic effects may result in suboptimal rates of supply and demand to destabilize the financial security of health systems or the profitability of the pharmaceutical industry. As a result, the initial high hopes for the development of gene therapies are unlikely to be realized without changes in industry incentives or significant public investment in research.

Key words: pharmacogenomics, gene therapy, regulation, pricing, reimbursement

Address for correspondence: Prof. Toni Vekov, PhD, DSc, e-mail: t.vekov.mu.pleven@abv.bg