The British patient advocates the antitrust regulator to probe drug manufacturers

The UK antitrust regulator was invited by patient defense groups to investigate several major drug manufacturers and their British lobbying organization for “suspects” and “coordinated” efforts to increase the prices of medicines.

The backdrop of the complaint was an ongoing row between the pharmaceutical industry and the British government for the compulsory discounts that pharmaceutical companies must pay in order to cap the cost of brand medicines for the National Health Service. During the year 2023-2024, the NHS spent $ 18.6 billion for such treatments.

But earlier this year, the government proposed to stimulate discounts from 10% to 23%, which has aroused criticism from industry that the United Kingdom is no longer a desirable destination for additional investment. In recent weeks, several major pharmaceutical companies – Astrazeneca, Merck and Eli Lilly – have responded by interrupting or eliminating expansion plans for various research or manufacturing facilities of a combined value of 2.6 billion dollars.