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Oncology drug withdrawals in Greece

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2026-08-26 05:24 UTC → 2026-08-27 04:40 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Pharmaceutical company Gilead has announced plans to withdraw its innovative breast cancer drug, Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan), from the Greek market by the end of the year. The medication is used to treat metastatic, triple-negative, and hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Gilead cited disputes over mandatory high discounts and rebates, claiming the medication is being sold “below production costs.” Industry sources and medical professionals indicate the withdrawal is driven by the high clawback mechanism in Greece, where companies must provide mandatory financial returns to the state. In some instances, these burdens can reach 80%, making it commercially unviable to distribute certain innovative treatments. Negotiations between Gilead and the Drug Price Negotiation Committee reportedly failed to reach an agreement on pricing. The ELAS organization has warned that this withdrawal follows the removal of at least four other oncology therapies in recent months, including treatments for hematological and metastatic colorectal cancers. While these medications remain available in other European nations, they are no longer accessible in Greece. The Hellenic Society of Medical Oncologists (EOPE) has expressed deep concern, sending a letter to Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. The society called for immediate institutional dialogue to establish a predictable and sustainable framework for oncological innovation, warning that without structural reforms to ensure fiscal stability and therapy availability, patients will continue to lose access to life-saving medicines. In response to the potential loss of Trodelvy, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis stated that “no patient will be left without medicine” and promised that a solution would be found. Meanwhile, broader healthcare concerns in Greece include delays in medical infrastructure, such as the construction of a new anti-cancer hospital in Northern Greece, which patients fear may not be completed until 2032.

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