Diabetes alarm: Pharmaceutical industry threatens to do without metformin!

Diabetes alarm: Pharmaceutical industry threatens to do without metformin!

In Germany, there is resistance in the pharmaceutical industry against the new EU sampling guideline, which will come into force at the beginning of 2025. This guideline aims to improve water quality and promote environmental protection. A central element is the expansion of sewage treatment plants by a fourth cleaning level, which should contribute to removal of medication residues in the wastewater. The manufacturers of drugs are instructed to be involved in the costs of these measures, which could bring considerable financial burdens for many companies, especially in the area of ​​generics.

according to Remszeitung Diabetes medication metformin increases by up to 445 percent. Metformin that is used for type 2 diabetes plays a crucial role for around 2.9 million affected people in Germany. The current sales price of around 2 cents per tablet could increase significantly and catapult the annual treatment costs for patients from 350 million euros to over 1.8 billion euros.

The new wastewater guideline in detail

The EU directive on municipal wastewater was adopted on November 5, 2024 and replaces the old EC directive from 1991. According to Taylor "> Taylor Wessing The additional costs for pharmaceutical companies in Germany amount to over 36 billion euros in the next 30 years. The manufacturers are obliged to bear these costs based on the amount and toxicity of their products, which causes many large companies to think about retreating their products.

The discussion about metformin is particularly explosive. While manufacturers such as Zentiva and even the Sandoz industry giant are considering production, experts fear that possible replacement medications are not only more expensive, but are also associated with higher side effects and therapy susiness. The use of alternatives such as gli -flozins or insulin brings additional risks for the patients, while metformin is still considered good and inexpensive active ingredients.

political reactions and outlook

At the political level, the situation is also controversial. The CDU health politician Peter Liese calls for a new cost analysis and warns of the possible consequences for the patients and the health insurance companies. The business of numerous pharmaceutical companies could significantly impair the new provisions. The EU Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi is currently examining alternative ways to share the cost of industry.

The industry itself suggests that the additional costs to be transferred to private households via higher wastewater fees. However, this is not very well received. Jutta Paul, an EU environmental politician, rejects this strategy and demands a uniform assumption of costs by the causes. The new wastewater guideline will be effective from January 1, 2025, and the national implementation in Germany has a period of 30 months. The deadlines to adapt the sewage treatment plants must be kept in mind in order to avoid nasty surprises for the patients and health care.