Immunomodulators as objects of the pharmaceutical market. Message II. Research of the price conjuncture of the retail market segment and economic availability of immunostimulants

Abstract

An important direction of scientific research is the constant monitoring of prices and economic availability of immunostimulants, the results of which can serve as a basis for making appropriate management decisions regarding the improvement of the provision of this group of drugs to the population of Ukraine.
 The aim of the work is to conduct a situational analysis of the price conjuncture and economic availability of immunostimulants on the pharmaceutical market of Ukraine (using the example of pharmacies in Lviv). The material of the study was the information on retail prices for immunostimulants in Lviv pharmacies as of March 14, 2023. Information search, analysis, generalization, and marketing research have been used as methods of research. The price liquidity ratio has been used for a detailed analysis of the price situation. Economic availability has been determined based on the cost of the defined daily dose (DDD) at the minimum and maximum retail prices.
 A situational analysis of the number of offers and retail prices for immunostimulants in Lviv pharmacies has showed that, depending on the trade name of the drug, they were offered by one to 314 pharmacies in the regional center.
 For all analyzed trade names of drugs of groups L03A A02 – Filgrastim and L03A X18 – Cridanimod, 85.7% of trade names of drugs of group L03A B04 – Interferon alfa-2b, 66.7% of trade names of drugs from groups L03A X29 – Other drugs and L03A X22** – Echinacea, the Sliq value did not exceed 0.5, which indicates a high level of their competition in the studied market segment and the relative economic availability of these drugs. However, for 20.0% of the investigated nomenclature of immunostimulants (Ismigen (Italy), Tsitovir-3 (Finland), Immunal (Slovenia), Echinacea compositum C (Germany), etc.), a decrease in the level of competition and relative economic availability on the market in Lviv has been observed (Cliq within 0.55–0.91).
 A study of the economic availability of 14 immunostimulants based on the DDD cost has showed that the most economically available were the trade names of interferon alpha-2b (index of economic availability (Iav) in the range of 17.52–87.03%), as well as trade names of the BCG vaccine (Iav = 51.02%). Somewhat lower group economic availability was characteristic for two trade names of glatiramer acetate (Iаv in the range of 138.60–152.27%). The least economically available for the patient were the trade names of filgrastim (Iаv = 262.02‒424.53%).
 The results of the study can serve as a basis for the formation of the price policy of various subjects of the pharmaceutical market.