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FDA explores import strategy in effort to reduce price of drugs

pharmafile | July 20, 2018 | News story | Medical Communications Drug pricing, Trump, borders, import, the donald 

The FDA has been directed to explore ways in which medicines could be safely imported from other countries “in the event of a dramatic price increase for a drug produced by one manufacturer and not protected by patents or exclusivities.”

US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has directed the federal agency to create a working group aimed at examining ways in which drugs could be safely imported from other countries. The directive comes as part of an ongoing effort to “address price hikes and supply disruptions that are harming American patients.”

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the pharmaceutical industry’s most powerful trade lobby, have criticised the idea stating that the measures would “circumvent the robust safety requirements we have in United States, posing a serious public health risk and jeopardizing our secure medicine system.”

However the initiative has received praise from various observers. Aaron Kesselheim an associate professor at Harvard Medical School described the measure as a “useful step” while Rachel Sachs, a professor at Washington University School of Law stated that the direction could be “a very smart move that would allow the administration to respond to some of the worst actors that we have seen in drug pricing,” according to the Washington Post.

As Trump increases pressure on drug makers to halt price hikes, the importation measure could form part of a multi-pronged approach towards reducing the price of drugs in the United States. While Novartis, Merck and Pfizer have all backed down since Trump ramped up the pressure on big pharma, the introduction of limited importation could act to increase competition and reduce prices on much needed medicines.

Louis Goss

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