Not a single medicine for the treatment of adult cancer patients was purchased through the managed access agreement mechanism, CEO of the Inspiration Family foundation to support adult cancer patients Anna Uzlova has said.

"An instrument such as managed access agreement can expand access for Ukrainian patients to expensive innovative medicines. The law on managed access agreements was adopted in 2021, however, according to our data, no oncology medicines were purchased through this procedure. Amendments to the law of Ukraine on public procurement and other laws on the procurement of medicines under managed access agreements were valid until the end of 2023. Consequently, it is impossible to conclude the managed access agreements in 2024, because these amendments were not extended," she said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.

At the same time, Uzlova noted that "after our appeal to the head of the subcommittee on oncology of the Verkhovna Rada, we returned to this issue again, so we hope for a shift in this process."

As reported, the Health Ministry of Ukraine planned to purchase nine medicines for the treatment of serious diseases under managed access agreements in 2023, in particular drugs for rare (orphan) diseases, oncology, which are included in the priority healthcare development areas. In particular, managed access agreements on drugs for the treatment of patients with SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) were concluded for three years.

In September 2023, Director General of the Medical Procurement of Ukraine Edem Adamanov announced that all drugs contracted for 2023 under the managed access agreements mechanism had already been delivered.

In Ukraine, managed access agreements are concluded through direct negotiation procedures between the customer from the state (the Health Ministry and the Medical Procurement of Ukraine) and the manufacturer. They provide for the confidentiality of certain conditions, in particular the final price of the item being purchased.