UK plan to require drug makers to pay higher rebates draws criticism from industry group
The U.K. government proposes raising mandatory drug rebates paid by drug companies to bolster the National Health Service. U.K. pharma is not happy.
A U.K. government proposal to raise mandatory rebates that drug companies are required to pay to bolster the National Health Service has sparked criticism from an industry trade group, which argues the move will undermine efforts to make life sciences a key pillar of the economy.
At issue is a program called the statutory scheme, which was created several years ago and is one of two initiatives in which the government uses rebates to cap the cost of brand-name medicines for the NHS. However, the programs have grown controversial, partly because the rebates had historically been in the single-digit percentages but rose sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic.
