Slovak State Loses Legal Dispute Over Reimbursement of Europe's Most Expensive Drug Zolgensma

The Slovak government has lost a legal dispute with health insurance companies Dôvera and Union over the reimbursement of Zolgensma, a gene therapy drug costing two million euros per treatment. The case centered on whether the state-regulated insurance system should cover the costs of what is considered one of the world's most expensive medications. Zolgensma is used to treat spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic disorder that affects infants and young children. The ruling represents a significant financial and policy setback for Slovakia's healthcare system, which operates through a mixed public-private insurance model where companies like Dôvera and Union provide coverage alongside the state insurer. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between healthcare costs and insurance coverage in Slovakia's medical system, particularly for rare disease treatments that carry extremely high price tags.