ArticleRevista de saude publica2020
The case of eculizumab: litigation and purchases by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.
Article in Revista de saude publica, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS): an expert consensus statement from the Rare Diseases Committee of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (COMDORA-SBN).Jornal brasileiro de nefrologiaGuideline
- Clinical characteristics and management of paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria in Latin America: a narrative review.Annals of hematology · 2025Review
- Initiatives to promote access to medicines after publication of the Brazilian Policy on the Comprehensive Care of People with Rare Diseases.Orphanet journal of rare diseases · 2023Article
- Towards equity in health: for an agenda for research and development and local production driven by the multiple needs of the Brazilian Unified National Health System.Cadernos de saude publica · 2023Article
- Ultraexpensive gene therapies, industry interests and the right to health: the case of onasemnogene abeparvovec in Brazil.BMJ global health · 2022Article
- Eculizumab interruption in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome due to shortage: analysis of a Brazilian cohort.Journal of nephrology · 2021Article
- Data Sources for Drug Utilization Research in Brazil-DUR-BRA Study.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Article
- Dynamics of patents, orphan drug designation, licensing, and revenues from drugs for rare diseases: The market expansion of eculizumab.PloS one · 2021Article
- Thrombotic microangiopathy after kidney transplantation: Analysis of the Brazilian Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome cohort.PloS one · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis study examined the purchases of eculizumab, a high-cost monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of rare diseases by Brazilian federal agencies, in terms of purchased quantities, expenditures, and prices.
methodsEculizumab purchases made between March 2007 and December 2018 were analyzed, using secondary data extracted from the Federal Government Purchasing System (SIASG in Portuguese). The following aspects were assessed: number of purchases, purchased quantities, number of daily doses defined per 1,000 inhabitants per year, annual expenditures, and prices. The prices were adjusted by the National Broad Consumer Price Index for December 2018. Linear regression was used for trend analysis.
resultsAll acquisitions by federal agencies were made by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The purchases began in 2009 with tender waiver to comply with legal demand. There was an increasing trend in the number of purchases and quantities acquired over time. Two hundred and eighty-three purchases were made, totaling 116,792 units purchased, 28.2% of them in 2018. The adjusted total expenses summed more than R$ 2.44 billion. After market approval by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency, the weighted average price fell approximately 35%, to values under the Medicines Market Chamber of Regulation established prices.
conclusionEculizumab represented extremely significant expenditures for the Brazilian Ministry of Health during the period. All purchases were made to meet demands from lawsuits, outside the competitive environment. The market approval of eculizumab promoted an important price reduction. This study indicates the relevance of licensing and the need for permanent monitoring and auditing of drug purchases to meet legal demands.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.