In Finland, a notable shortage of the prescription medication apixaban, a blood thinner required by over 150,000 people, has arisen within pharmacies across the country. The primary reason for this shortage has been identified as a patent dispute between pharmaceutical companies that led to most manufacturers withdrawing their medications from the market at the end of last year. Consequently, the only options remaining for patients have been the original branded medication, Eliquis, which is more than three times the cost of the generic alternatives, and one parallel product from Apixaban ratiopharm.

During this period, the situation has presented challenges for many patients, particularly because Eliquis does not qualify for reimbursement, making it financially burdensome for those accustomed to paying lower prices for generic versions. The higher cost of Eliquis means that while the medication has remained available, the actual access has been severely restricted due to the prohibitive pricing. Timo Mauriala, the head of the Availability and Laboratory Unit at Fimea, highlighted that the access issue stems not just from physical availability but also from affordability concerns, raising significant implications for healthcare accessibility for Finnish patients.

Fortunately, the situation began to improve in February as resolutions to the patent issues progressed, which could lead to a better availability of more affordable alternatives on the market. This case sheds light on broader issues within the pharmaceutical industry regarding patent laws and their impact on patient care and medication accessibility, prompting discussions about how such disputes can be managed to prevent future shortages of vital medications.