Fund Mediator: Xavier Bertrand is to sign the decree

Written by Sandeep Nehra

The Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said on Monday on RTL has signed the decree establishing the compensation fund for victims of the Mediator.

“The Constitutional Council validated the fund Mediator and now, if they wish, as I have just signed the decree, all patients of the Mediator can write to ONIAM (National Compensation medical) so they can prepare their case, “said the minister.

In an interview with Le Figaro, the Minister “Servier asked to cooperate fully to compensate the victims.”

In addition, the Minister has agreed, in the newspaper, go to the “showdown” at European level in connection with another diabetes drug, Actos.

“We will maintain the suspension of Actos. This medicine will not be back in French pharmacies,” he said.

“If the European Commission sided with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and forced us to return the Actos on the market, there will be a showdown,” he said.

EMA recommended July 21 the continued placing on the market (AMM) of both diabetes and Competact Actos (pioglitazone, Takeda laboratories). They were suspended from use by the French Drug Agency June 9, on the basis of a study of the health insurance finding an increased risk of bladder cancer in diabetics treated with pioglitazone.