Stiglitz propone un nuevo modelo de investigación clínica y precios

Joseph Stiglitz, premio Nobel de economía (2001) ya habia opinado sobre las patentes en la industria farmacéutica. Ello trajo consigo una gran controversia. El pasado diciembre volvió, esta vez, para proponer un nuevo modelo para la investigación clínica.



We want new drugs to fight diseases, but we also want to control the rise in spending on prescription drugs — a thorny dilemma that would take, say, the brains of a Nobel Laureate to resolve. As it happens, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz weighs in today on how to accomplish both of these goals at once.

In a brief article published in Health Affairs, Stiglitz and a co-author suggest two big steps:

1. Countries where the government sets drug prices should consider basing payment on well-defined metrics based on how much the drug is likely to help patients. Pay a lot for a drug that extends life, pay a little for a me-too drug that looks a lot like other medicines already on the market.

2. Use public money to fund clinical trials, and make the results public. Require head-to-head testing of drugs, and fund trials aimed at maximizing patient benefits. This should result in fewer me-too drugs and make drug testing more efficient, as companies would be able to make decisions based on a wide range of studies

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