Posted by Michael Wonder on 26 Jun 2017
EU tests limits of drug pricing freedom in landmark probe
26 June 2017 - The first ever EU antitrust probe into excessive drug pricing is taking the European pharmaceuticals industry into uncharted territory, unnerving some companies and lawyers worried about the reach of market intervention.
It comes as drugmakers face global pressure over the high cost of prescription medicines, with particular anger focused on makers of older generic products who exploit limited competition to force through big price rises.
The European Commission's move last month to investigate if Aspen Pharmacare made "unjustified" hikes of up to several hundred percent in the cost of five old cancer drugs puts the EU executive in the vanguard of such enforcement.
