Domestic production of anticancer drugs by an official laboratory, a strategic proposa.

Abstract

Cancer is a cell disorder characterized by changes in the process of DNA replication, resulting in altered cell proliferation, in a disorderly manner. Cancer is a major public health problem in developing and developed countries, and accounts for over six million of deaths each year, which is approximately 12% of all causes of death worldwide. It is estimated that in 2011, 489,270 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Brazil. Given this scenario, this paper aims to make a general survey of public spending on anticancer drugs, in order to assess the need for domestic manufacturing of these drugs by an official laboratory, aiming to reduce public spending, expand the pharmaceutical care, define and select the strategic drugs, thereby avoiding the shortage, as well as to identify the main drugs/medicines to be incorporated into public production. After surveying the market and assessing SUS needs, the following fourteen anticancer drugs were selected for domestic production by an official laboratory: hydroxyurea, capecitabine, tamoxifen citrate, megestrol acetate, chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, thioguanine, imatinib mesylate, mercaptopurine, anastrozole, erlotinib hydrochloride, bicalutamide, melphalan and methotrexate. By surveying the market
and the needs of SUS regarding the supply of anticancer drugs, it is observed that domestic manufacturing of such drugs by an official laboratory could meet the needs of SUS, thereby avoiding the shortage of anticancer drugs in the domestic public market, ensuring access of such drugs to the population, in addition to consolidation of such therapeutic classes in the official laboratories.