Posted by Michael Wonder on 17 Jul 2017
How the NHS became embroiled in a global drugs price clash
15 July 2017 - Multinational drug firms were never going to look good taking the NHS to court.
But, in effect, that is what happened this week when the ABPI launched a court challenge to the extra drug price control powers given to the NHS in April.
While the judicial review is technically against health costs watchdog NICE, which signed off on the change, it is being seen as a proxy battle in the long-running tussle between global pharmaceutical firms and the NHS over drug pricing.
Under the new rules, NHS England no longer has to automatically fund drugs forecast to cost more than £20 million in any of the first three years they are in use. Instead it can opt to enter commercial talks with the maker to try to negotiate the cost down. If this fails, it can ration the roll-out of the drug.
