Pricing Strategies

US President Trump’s plan for a “25% or higher” tariff on pharmaceuticals promises to have a far-reaching impact, from higher prices and drug shortages to increased onshoring of manufacturing in the US. Is MAGA worth the chaos it might create for MAHA? The Indian industry shares its views.

Unleashing a trio of major announcements, Formycon has indicated a gloomy outlook for US Stelara biosimilar pricing; revealed plans to pause commercialization of its Sandoz-partnered US Cimerli rival to Lucentis amid discounting from rivals; and set out ambitious plans to win FDA approval for its proposed Keytruda biosimilar without any Phase III data.

Vardenafil led the steepest generic price rises in the UK in January, with the average cost of one presentation of the erectile dysfunction treatment more than trebling.

Brazil’s drug regulator ANVISA has also published its first post-marketing authorization monitoring reports on advanced therapies Yescarta, Zolgenma, Kymriah, Carvykti and Luxturna.

While Japan looks set to further improve policies to support ventures and ease market entry this year, these will contrast with ongoing reimbursement price controls.

Repatha was not an overnight success, but the work Amgen has done to turn its PCSK9 inhibitor into a blockbuster is informing its strategy for Lp(a)-reducing olpasiran and obesity drug MariTide.

Boehringer Ingelheim “made it more difficult” for doctors to prescribe generic versions of its Spiriva (tiotropium) inhalers, Romania’s Competition Council has found, as it levied a fine of more than $25m on the German originator.

At the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor commented on the “offensively” low pricing for antibiotics in the US – “less than a packet of M&Ms” – while also revealing that the firm has struck a deal with a US PBM for its Samsung Bioepis-partnered Pyzchiva ustekinumab biosimilar to Stelara.

Boehringer Ingelheim “made it more difficult” for doctors to prescribe generic versions of its Spiriva (tiotropium) inhalers, Romania’s Competition Council has found, as it levied a fine of more than $25m on the German originator.

UK prices for gabapentin almost trebled in December, according to the latest figures from WaveData.