Ruto: Cancer drug prices slashed sevenfold in Pfizer deal

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 1 — Cancer patients in Kenya are set to benefit from sharply reduced treatment costs after the government signed an agreement with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer that President William Ruto says will cut the price of medicines for several cancers by more than seven times.

Under the agreement between Pfizer and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), medicines used to treat breast, stomach, colon, lung, prostate and oesophageal cancers, as well as leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma, will be supplied at significantly lower prices.

President Ruto said the reduction would, in some cases, bring the cost of a single treatment cycle from as much as Sh1 million to below Sh50,000.

The development could substantially ease the financial burden on patients undergoing cancer treatment, which has remained one of the most expensive areas of healthcare in the country.

Ruto said the agreement, signed under Pfizer’s Accord for a Healthier World initiative, would also make the Sh800,000 cancer package under the Social Health Authority (SHA) sufficient to cover treatment without patients having to meet additional costs.

The President said the agreement would also address delays in access to newer cancer medicines, with Kenya set to gain access to newer treatments without the 10-year wait that he said patients currently face.

“Consequently, prices of medicines for the treatment of breast, stomach, colon, lung, prostate, oesophagus, leukaemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma cancers have reduced remarkably by more than seven times,” Mr Ruto said.

He said the deal represented a major step towards making cancer treatment more affordable and strengthening the country’s Universal Health Coverage programme.

The agreement is also expected to have implications beyond access to medicines, with Pfizer making technologies and newer medicines available for local pharmaceutical production in Africa.

Ruto, who is the African Union Champion for Local Manufacturing of Medical Commodities, said the move would support efforts to build the continent’s capacity to manufacture medicines locally and reduce reliance on imports.

The President made the announcement after receiving Pfizer chairman and chief executive officer Albert Bourla at State House, Nairobi.

The meeting was also attended by Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, US Embassy Nairobi Charge d’Affaires Carla Benini, Medical Services Principal Secretary Ouma Oluga and Pfizer officials.

The agreement comes as the government seeks to expand access to specialised healthcare through SHA and reduce the amount patients pay from their pockets for treatment.

Cancer remains a major health and financial challenge in Kenya, with the cost of medicines, diagnostics and repeated treatment cycles often putting care beyond the reach of many households.

Ruto said the government would continue working with Pfizer and other partners to strengthen Universal Health Coverage and improve access to affordable treatment.

The President described Pfizer’s involvement as a significant contribution to Kenya’s health reforms, particularly efforts to ensure that patients can access advanced medicines without being pushed into financial hardship.