Although biotherapeutic drugs have the potential of transforming the management of many life-threatening diseases, their affordability and accessibility remain an issue. This study offers an overview of the global affordability of biotherapeutic products. For this, prices for 10 representative biotherapeutic products were examined in 40 countries, including high-income countries (HICs), upper middle-income countries (UMICs), lower middle-income countries (LMICs), and low-income countries (LICs). The affordability of these biotherapeutics was calculated based on the World Health Organization/Health Action International (WHO/HAI) method. As expected, affordability was found to be better in HICs, followed by UMICs, LMICs, and finally, LICs. Furthermore, based on the trend of per capita income, we predict that in UMICs and LMICs, the affordability of high molecular weight biologics will worsen by 1.5× and 2× by 2030, respectively, and further by 4× and 6× by 2040. On the other hand, affordability will stay nearly the same for people living in HICs in the coming decades. Our analysis suggests that it is imperative that measures be taken to make this class of products more affordable and accessible. Governments can contribute by creating conducive policies. Global institutions like the WHO can play a significant role as well. Finally, manufacturers need to invest in and implement manufacturing innovations.

中文翻译：

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全球生物治疗药物负担能力展望


尽管生物治疗药物有可能改变许多危及生命的疾病的治疗，但其负担能力和可及性仍然是一个问题。这项研究概述了生物治疗产品的全球承受能力。为此，我们对 40 个国家的 10 种代表性生物治疗产品的价格进行了审查，包括高收入国家 (HIC)、中高收入国家 (UMIC)、中低收入国家 (LMIC) 和低收入国家 (LIC) 。这些生物治疗药物的负担能力是根据世界卫生组织/国际健康行动组织（WHO/HAI）的方法计算的。正如预期的那样，高收入国家的负担能力较好，其次是中低收入国家、中低收入国家，最后是低收入国家。此外，根据人均收入趋势，我们预测，在中低收入国家和中低收入国家，到2030年，高分子生物制剂的承受能力将分别恶化1.5倍和2倍，到2040年进一步恶化4倍和6倍。另一方面，未来几十年生活在高收入国家的人们的负担能力将几乎保持不变。我们的分析表明，必须采取措施使此类产品更便宜、更容易获得。政府可以通过制定有利的政策做出贡献。世界卫生组织等全球机构也可以发挥重要作用。最后，制造商需要投资并实施制造创新。