Drug pricing

NHS denied £2m of savings after hydrocortisone suppliers enter anticompetitive agreements, finds CMA

The NHS was denied potential savings on hydrocortisone tablets after two suppliers entered into anticompetitive agreements, the Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally found.…

Government voices concerns about using legal powers for affordable access to cystic fibrosis drug

The government has said that using its legal power to “break the monopoly” held by drug company Vertex Pharmaceuticals over its combination cystic fibrosis treatment Orkambi would not represent “a quick solution”.ent Orkambi.…

CMA investigates 1,600% price increase of liothyronine over eight-year period

The Competition and Markets Authority has refined its window of investigation into the alleged “excessive and unfair pricing” of liothyronine tablets, which it says has seen the NHS overcharged by millions of pounds.…

DHSC to consult with pharmaceutical industry over generics price limiting powers

The Department of Health and Social Care will consult with the pharmaceutical industry over its plans to use new powers limiting the price of generics, the department’s permanent secretary has said.…

New voluntary pricing agreement could cut NHS drugs bill by almost £1bn a year

Patients could have early access to new medicines while the NHS is expected to save around £930m on its annual medicine bill under a new voluntary scheme to control pricing of branded medicines, which is expected to come into effect in January 2019.…

CMA closes investigation into alleged anticompetitive generic drug pricing practices

The Competition and Markets Authority has closed an investigation into alleged anticompetitive generic drug pricing after concluding that the case was not a good use of its resources.…

NPA asked to lobby wholesalers to limit generic price rises

The National Pharmacy Association has been asked to lobby wholesalers to limit generic medicines price increases by a local pharmaceutical committee.…

Proposals to include biologics in price controls could threaten NHS savings, says biosimilars head

Government proposals to include all biologics within the scope of price-controlled health service medicines could impact patient benefit and threaten NHS England’s savings target, the director general of the British Generic Manufacturers Association and the British Biosimilars Association has …

CMA opens six new investigations into anticompetitive drug pricing

The Pharmaceutical Journal has learned that the Competitions and Market Authority opened six new investigations in October 2017 at the height of the crisis in the generics market that hit community pharmacy hard.…

Solution to generics shortages and price spikes yet to be found, MPs hear

Sharp price increases and supply shortages of some drugs may continue to leave pharmacy owners struggling to provide supplies to patients.…