Spain's Health Minister, Javier Padilla Bernaldes, has urged European countries to unite against drug price pressures from the United States instead of pursuing bilateral agreements. He emphasized at the European Health Conference in Gastein, Austria, that any bilateral agreement could weaken the European market.
Pressure on Germany to Reach Agreement with the United States
Padilla Bernaldes continued, "When the issue of [high-priority countries] arose, there was a consensus that the main strength of the European Union is having a larger number of people with higher global health coverage, and its weakness is having a fragmented market." He added, "If you move towards bilateral agreements, you lose that main strength." These remarks come as Germany is under pressure to reach an agreement with the Trump administration regarding drug prices.
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Challenges of Pharmaceutical Policies in Europe
Europe is considering how to respond to the U.S. drug pricing policy, which may delay the launch of new drugs on the continent. Companies are concerned that launching products in Europe may lead to lower prices in the United States, limiting their profitability in this attractive market.
In June, 11 countries led by Sweden met to discuss the best way to tackle these pressures and agreed that collective cooperation is stronger than pursuing individual agreements. The Beneluxa group, which includes Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria, and Ireland, has also urged Europe to maintain solidarity-based health systems and avoid incoherent and individual national responses.
Sweden continues to lead discussions on drug pricing and reimbursements, with a meeting scheduled for October 9. However, some countries may be breaking agreements.
American diplomats and pharmaceutical companies are exploring similar agreements with European countries that Washington has signed with the UK. Recently, Germany has discussed its drug prices with American officials. Although no agreement has been announced yet, Germany is considering whether it can reward local investment by paying higher prices to manufacturers.
France has also recently announced a new agreement with the pharmaceutical sector regarding drug pricing, aimed at providing "greater transparency and predictability for pharmaceutical companies." French Health Minister, Stéphanie Rist, stated that access to medicines is at the heart of this policy.
Padilla Bernaldes warned that European countries thinking they can negotiate well with the U.S. government are actually relinquishing Europe's main strength. He said, "But I don't think that will happen."
Meanwhile, Yanis Natsis, head of the European Social Insurance Platform, also emphasized that "going it alone is no solution" and expressed concern that "national demands and policies without coordination may harm patients and taxpayers in France."
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