After importers’ protest, cardiac stent prices may rise again

The price of cardiac stents in Bangladesh may be on the rise again, raising concerns for heart patients who depend on these life-saving devices.

Importers of European stents, unhappy with the current prices set by the Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA), have been urging hospitals not to use their stents and filed a legal petition with the High Court for a new price determination.

The DGDA's promise to reconsider the price prompted importers of European stents to withdraw their petition on 10 January. But, reports suggest that the prices could surge by Tk2,000 to Tk9,000, depending on the type of stent.

Wasim Ahmad, who imports European stents, told The Business Standard, "The DGDA discriminated by setting a higher price for imports of American stents and lowering ours. Our petition aimed to address this discrimination, not increase prices.

"We had discussions with the DGDA and withdrew the petition after they promised to reassess the prices. However, we haven't yet received official communication about the price increase."

Wasim said, "A decision is expected when the secretary returns, and if the DGDA revises the price, we will inform hospitals to use our stents."

When contacted, DGDA Director Md Salauddin mentioned discussions with businessmen on stent prices. "Health Secretary Md Jahangir Alam, chairman of the stent price determination committee, is currently abroad, and a final decision will be made upon his return," he said.

On 12 December last year, the DGDA reduced cardiac stent prices by over 40%, benefiting heart patients.

However, since the decision's implementation on 16 December, the importers of European stents have been urging hospitals not to use their stents, demanding a price reevaluation. This caused difficulties for heart patients in getting the necessary stents.

Initially, the DGDA set the maximum retail price for stents for 27 importers – three importers of American stents and the rest from Europe and other countries.

European stent importers claim that the DGDA applied the 2017 markup formula exclusively to set prices for the three American companies. However, this formula was not used for the remaining 24 importers, leading them to halt the supply and sale of stents until a price adjustment is made.