1. Pink Sheet
  3. >>Government Payers

UK Health Secretary Admits VPAG ‘More Expensive’ Than Expected & Needs To Be ‘Resolved’

 
• By Eliza Slawther

The UK government has listened to industry concerns about high clawback rates under the voluntary scheme and will review it in June in a bid to resolve the issue and “move on to bigger and more important things,” health secretary Wes Streeting says.

Health secretary Wes Streeting at the ABPI annual conference (Norstella)
Key Takeaways
  • The UK Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines, Pricing, Access and Growth will be reviewed in June and has not worked as intended, according to the country’s health secretary, Wes Streeting.
  • Streeting also said the UK must view medicines as an investment and that the reimbursement system can prevent some patients from accessing the best treatments available.

The UK Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines, Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) has “not quite worked as everyone hoped or expected,” the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said during a 3...

The VPAG has also proved “far more expensive than industry, but also, frankly, government had expected,” according to Streeting, who was speaking at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry’s...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Government Payers

HHS Negotiating With Manufacturers On Most Favored Nation Drug Pricing

 
• By Cathy Kelly

MFN policy would would apply to all single source drugs in all insurance markets, according to HHS release. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the department is discussing the plan with drug sponsors.

Will International Prices Influence Medicare Price Negotiation?

 
• By Cathy Kelly

A former CMS official suggested the most likely way it could happen is through a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation demonstration.

Industry Leaders Grapple With Trump’s Most Favored Nation Pricing Plan

 
• By Jessica Merrill

At the Bank of America health care conference, pharma leaders speculated on the impact of Trump’s most favored nation pricing executive order on US and European markets.

Most Favored Nation Policy ‘Lazy, Misguided,’ But US Price Reforms Politically ‘Inevitable’

 
• By Cathy Kelly

Policy experts and pharma executives react to President Trump’s executive order on “equalizing” drug prices between the US and comparable nations at the ISPOR 2025 conference.

More from Pricing Debate

‘Tectonic’ Arkansas PBM Legislation May Upend Industry

 
• By Tim Casey

Industry will fight hard to prevent other states or the federal government from adopting measures similar to Arkansas' law preventing PBMs from owning pharmacies.

Will International Prices Influence Medicare Price Negotiation?

 
• By Cathy Kelly

A former CMS official suggested the most likely way it could happen is through a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation demonstration.

Industry Leaders Grapple With Trump’s Most Favored Nation Pricing Plan

 
• By Jessica Merrill

At the Bank of America health care conference, pharma leaders speculated on the impact of Trump’s most favored nation pricing executive order on US and European markets.