For Patients, Not Profits
A new not-for-profit company will manufacture important generics in the US
Back in January 2018, “Project Rx” was announced – an ambitious initiative to establish a not-for-profit generic drug company. Further exciting details have now emerged (1): the company will be called Civica Rx and will be headed by Martin VanTrieste, former chief quality officer at Amgen and number 2 on The Medicine Maker’s Power List of Industry Influencers (2) More than 120 health organizations – representing a third of national hospitals in the US – have expressed an interest in some sort of participation.
A huge number of generic medicines have been approved in the US, but shortages – and high prices – are still an issue, particularly for sterile, generic medicines considered “foundational” to hospitals (3). The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists has listed hundreds of compounds facing shortages (4) – but a clear problem is that demand is outstripping supply.
Van Trieste has described the company as “a public asset with a mission to ensure that generic medications are accessible and affordable.” Leading very much from the front, Van Trieste takes on the new role without compensation.
What are the facts?
- Civica Rx will be an FDA-approved manufacturer that will either directly manufacture generic drugs or sub-contract manufacturing to reputable contract manufacturing organizations.
- The company will seek to stabilize the supply of essential generic medicines administered in hospitals.
- A secondary goal is to boost competition within the generic market to lower the costs of crucial medicines.
- 14 hospital-administered generic drugs will be targeted by the company as an initial focus.
- The first products are expected to be on the market as early as 2019.
Who’s involved?
- Catholic Health Initiatives
- HCA Healthcare
- Intermountain Healthcare
- Mayo Clinic
- Providence St. Joseph Health
- SSM Health
- Trinity Health
- The US Department of Veterans Affairs
- The Laura and John Arnold Foundation
- The Peterson Center on Healthcare
- The Gary and Mary West Foundation
- BusinessWire, “Not-for-Profit Generic Drug Company Officially Established, Attracts Interest of More Than 120 Health Organizations,” (2018). Available at https://bit.ly/2CvyqHz. Last accessed September, 2018.
- The Medicine Maker, 2018 Power List. Available at https://themedicinemaker.com/power-list/2018/.
- S Barlas, “Frustration Over Generic Drug Shortages and Prices Prompts Federal and Private Actions: Health Systems Take Matters Into Their Own Hands, Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 43 (2018).
- ASHP, “Drug Shortages List”. Available at https://bit.ly/2L3zRNv. Last accessed September, 2018.
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