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LATEST PHARMACY NEWS
NEW DRUGS TO BE FAST-TRACKED,
NHS TO SAVE ALMOST 1 BILLION
POUNDS UNDER UK DEAL WITH
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY
The Association of the British Specifically, the 2019 voluntary certainty that the sales of branded
Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) scheme calls for implementing a medicines won’t grow at more than
announced Friday that it has 2-percent cap on the growth in 2 percent in any of the next five
reached an agreement with the sales of branded medicines to the years,” he remarked.
UK government that would allow NHS, with drugmakers repaying
patients to access “cutting edge the NHS for spending over that Meanwhile, UK Health Secretary
and best value” medicines up limit. The ABPI said the deal also Matt Hancock stated that “the deal
to six months earlier through a enables “faster and more flexible” will also ensure the UK remains
fast-tracked approvals process. commercial negotiations to get an attractive hub for research and
Further, the ABPI said the NHS new medicines into use as quickly investment so the next generation
across the UK is also expected to as possible, while simplifying of ground-breaking treatments can
save around 930 million pounds price controls by “reducing be developed here with patients
($1.2 billion) on its drug bill next unpredictability and complexity for benefitting earlier.” Negotiations will
year under the new voluntary companies and the NHS.” Further, continue towards a full agreement,
scheme for Branded Medicines it indicated that the agreement aims which is expected to be published in
Pricing and Access, which is set to to “[support] smaller companies due course, the ABPI said.
come into effect in January. to innovate through payment
exemptions and targeted case Earlier this month, the group
The group noted that while details management through NHS England commented on the draft Brexit
are still being finalised, “a major commercial discussions.” withdrawal agreement outlining the
milestone” has been reached in talks UK’s future relationship with the EU,
between the two parties that would Richard Torbett, executive director saying it “welcomed the agreement
see “the most transformative and for commercial policy at the ABPI, of a transition period, which will
best value medicines made available said the pharmaceutical industry enable companies to get medicines
on the NHS more quickly through would have preferred a “better to patients in March 2019,” when
better horizon scanning, earlier deal,” but that it nevertheless the UK is scheduled to exit to bloc.
commercial dialogue and faster “strikes the right balance” given the
appraisals from the National Institute financial situation of the NHS. “This
for Health and Care Excellence.” agreement will give the NHS total
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