British drugmakers call for change to pricing regime

The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) has warned UK lawmakers that an existing pricing agreement is unsustainable, and that the cost of agreed rebates are too high.

Originally agreed in 2019, the “Voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access” (VPAS) requires manufacturers of branded medicines to offer a rebate, the cost of which has increased in recent years.

Next year, drugmakers will be required to return almost £3.3 billion ($4 billion) in sales revenue to the government, up from around £600 million in 2021 and £1.8 billion this year.