Against the Targeted Prevention of the Use of Genetically Engineered Drugs Statement on the Law on the Promotion of Competition in Public Health Insurance

The Grand Coalition’s Law on the Promotion of Competition in Public Health Insurance contains many anti-innovation regulations that will further prevent the development of the German biotechnology sector. This law is in marked contrast to the “High-Tech Strategy for Germany”, which was only recently launched by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Drugs developed by genetic engineering and manufactured by biotechnological methods will face further obstacles, which will lead to a targeted restriction in their prescription by doctors.

BIO Deutschland opposes additional and specific restrictions in the prescription of highly innovative drugs. Genetically engineered drugs are distinguished by the fact that they can tackle the course of an illness in a far more targeted way and are mostly similar or even identical to the body’s own molecules. As a result, genetically engineered drugs are usually far less likely than conventional drugs to cause side effects.

BIO Deutschland is in favour of the promotion of highly innovative drugs as they can improve the treatment of many very serious diseases, which leads to better cure rates and a shorter duration of illnesses, and thus to a possible cost saving. However, the current draft law would cause the exact opposite of this and lead to higher costs in the medium term, as well as to further health reforms that have not been thought through.