The equivalence for ATC does not please the judge. The story began in Liguria, but quickly spread to other regions as well, those grappling with plans to recover from the health deficit. This is the issue of equivalence for ATC, as it was immediately christened. In practice, the concept was introduced into the Ligurian legislation that all proton pump inhibitors could be considered equivalent therefore, in order to contain costs, the regional health service would only cover the 100% only drug for which a generic is available , lansoprazole, requiring the citizen to pay the difference in price with the latter. The example was quickly followed by Calabria and Lazio. Many objections raised at the time and of different nature. On the one hand, many doctors have argued that there are rather significant differences in terms of efficacy and tolerability, also linked to individual response variability. On the part of the industry, but also of pharmacoeconomics experts, it was pointed out that measures of this kind first of all violated the principle of the reference price and, even earlier, they were going to intervene on an LEA (essential level of assistance) creating in fact a different treatment for the citizens of some regions. The companies filed an objection before the regional administrative courts. And today precisely there is the first ruling, in favor of the applicant, the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. With order number 248/2007, the TAR of Calabria "accepted the request for suspension for the annulment of the resolutions of the regional council of 13 February 2007 n° 93 and of 28 December 2006 n° 928, in the part in which they dictate provisions pertaining to the ATCA02BC drug category of acid pump inhibitors". This is the first resolution on the matter, but not the only one expected. In fact, similar requests have also been presented to the Lazio TAR by AstraZeneca itself but also by Altana Pharma and Almirall, which should be joined by Bracco. From Doctornews 05-25-07
