Pharma On Its Back Foot As US Drug Price Reform Advances

While the adoption of most favored nation drug pricing in the US stands to affect Japanese biopharma firms now heavily reliant on this market, it might also present an opportunity for pricing and policy reforms at home.

European health systems already pay far too much for new medicines and payers will not accept higher prices to compensate for lower US prices, according to Anja Schiel, from NOMA, the Norwegian health technology assessment body.

The state's Prescription Drug Affordability Board, the oldest of a growing list of the boards, chose six drugs for affordability reviews and has the authority to set a ceiling on the amount state and local government payers would reimburse for them.

A potential MFN drug pricing policy in the US could also lead to a greater push for collaborative action in the EU, such as joint procurement among the member states, says one European industry expert.