As a World Health Assembly meeting nears, several European countries are proposing numerous changes that patient advocates argue would water down a resolution designed to create more transparency around prescription drug pricing.
At a planning session earlier this week, nearly a dozen countries — particularly Germany, Denmark, the U.K., and Sweden — offered a bevy of subtle and not-so-subtle suggestions for softening language used to describe pricing as well as for disclosing R&D costs, patent holdings, and clinical trial results, among other things. A final version, which must still be crafted, will be vetted at the WHA meeting that starts on May 20 in Geneva.
The effort comes three months after Italian health minister Giulia Grillo introduced the resolution and argued that “international action is required to improve transparency” in order to widen access to pharmaceuticals. The resolution is actually one of several initiatives being pursued by cash-strapped governments to control their drug spending, but has far-reaching implications.
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and networking platform access.
Already have an account? Log in
Already have an account? Log in
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect