Prices of heart stents revised as importers voice discontent

The government has revised the prices of coronary stents of different foreign companies to quell the importers' dissatisfaction over the prices determined by the drug authority last December.
The move has unlocked the four months of halt in the supply of EU stents in hospitals.
Prices in cases of some coronary stents were raised to Tk10,000 compared to the December price list of the drug administration.
However, the prices have been lowered in the new price list compared to those of 2022 and 2021.
Earlier, the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) revised the prices it issued in December last year.
Prices of some stents have been hiked compared to the list of December provided by the DGDA.
The prices of stents imported mostly from the EU countries have been hiked as the importers had been demanding a hike in the prices calling the prices determined by the DGDA in December as unjustified.
The DGDA, finally, following a supply crunch from the EU stent importers, on Tuesday in circular hiked the prices of 23 heart stents of different companies, mostly EU companies.
Drug Administration Director and spokesperson Md Salauddin told the FE, "The drug regulator determined stent prices through a markup policy we have and through discussions with representatives of European and other countries' cardiac stent manufacturers, their local representatives and intervention cardiologists."
"We revised the prices following the dissatisfaction of the EU stent importers. We held meetings with manufacturers of EU stents who said they could not supply us with the prices we determined in December 2023. Furthermore, fluctuating dollar prices also pushed to revise the prices," he clarified.
European heart stents control roughly half the local market expressed.
According to the DGDA notification, cardiac patients would get heart rings at affordable prices in the country due to the price reduction.
The prices of 23 types of rings available in 9 countries were reduced by up to 44 per cent than the price of 2022 and 2021.
In Bangladesh, 26 types of stents made by different countries are used in the treatment of heart disease.
As Bangladesh has to import the tools the prices depend on the manufacturers, dollar prices and importers, said officials talking to the FE.
Md Nurul Alam, former deputy director of the Drug Administration, who retired this March, was also involved in the pricing since last December.
Heart treatments faced difficulties in the country since the DGDA lowered prices in December last year.
The aim to halt the tendency of seeking treatment in neighbouring countries would see further rise instead of reduction due to the EU stent supply crunch, he added.
This situation pushed the authority to hike prices as the importers said they were making losses.
The EU stents importers also accepted revised pricing confirming that they would resume supply from Wednesday.
"We have been demanding a price cap for a long. We have accepted the prices determined by the drug authority. We will resume supply to hospitals immediately and already take necessary steps in this regard," Wasim Ahmad, president of the Medical Device Importers Association and an importer of European stents told the FE.
This move eased the four months of halt in the supply of EU stents in hospitals and to patients, he added, saying that now cardiologists can decide for patients which they need.

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