Spain warns EU must unite against US drug pricing pressure, not go it alone
Spain's Health Secretary Javier Padilla Bernáldez has urged European countries to respond collectively to US drug pricing pressure rather than striking bilateral deals, warning this weakens the EU's main strength. His comments come as Germany weighs a deal with Washington and France has already signed a new pharma agreement.
Spain's Health Secretary Javier Padilla Bernáldez has called on European Union countries to present a united front against pressure from the United States over drug pricing, rather than pursuing individual bilateral agreements with Washington.
Speaking at the European Health Forum in Gastein, Austria, Padilla Bernáldez said the US "most favored nation" drug pricing policy threatens to delay the launch of new medicines in Europe, as pharmaceutical companies fear that prices set in Europe could be matched in the lucrative US market, cutting into profits. He argued that the EU's core strength has always been its large, solidarity-based healthcare market, and that going it alone squanders that advantage.
Countries diverge on strategy
In June, 11 countries led by Sweden agreed that collective action would be stronger than individual deals, a position echoed by the Beneluxa alliance of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Austria and Ireland. However, some countries appear to be breaking from this unified approach. Germany, following a US investigation into its drug pricing policies, has been negotiating with Washington and is considering offering higher prices to manufacturers that invest locally. France this week announced a new agreement with the pharmaceutical sector aimed at providing greater clarity and predictability for companies.
Padilla Bernáldez warned that countries hoping for favorable treatment from the US administration are mistaken. Yannis Natsis of the European Social Insurance Platform voiced similar concerns, noting it remains unclear what French patients and taxpayers will actually receive in exchange for higher prices. Renew MEP Stine Bosse warned that a patchwork of bilateral deals would make the EU less predictable for investors, ultimately costing patients and harming European competitiveness.
EFPIA head Nathalie Moll also stressed that Europe lacks sufficient coordination and called for continuous monitoring of the impact of US policy. The European Commission concluded in August that it was still too early to assess that impact, leaving the next move up to the EU Council.
