A hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador has received 192 vials of ocrelizumab, a high-specialty biological drug used to treat multiple sclerosis, as part of a centralized purchase by the Ecuadorian Social Security Institute (IESS).
The Hospital de Especialidades Teodoro Maldonado Carbo (HTMC) said the supply represented an investment of $1,012,642, based on a unit market price of $5,274 per vial.
The IESS said the purchase also benefited three other hospitals in its national network: Hospital General Portoviejo, Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga in Cuenca, and Hospital de Especialidades Carlos Andrade Marín in Quito.
According to the IESS, patients treated with ocrelizumab require two doses per year, administered six months apart. The institute said maintaining a steady supply is intended to prevent interruptions that could affect patients’ clinical progress.
The IESS added that timely access to the treatment helps slow disease progression and reduce the inflammatory activity associated with multiple sclerosis, a chronic condition affecting the central nervous system that can impair mobility, coordination, and vision.
