Pharmaceutical Pricing, Reimbursement and Parallel Trade 2006

Despite their diversity, global healthcare systems are increasingly converging in the need and desire to contain costs of healthcare, and especially those associated with pharmaceuticals. At the same time, Big Pharma are having to contend with a dearth of invention, patent expirations, and increased generic competition, among other factors undermining their profits. In this environment, the importance of market access strategies, especially in terms of pricing, reimbursement and parallel trade are rapidly gaining prominence.

Pharmaceutical and Biotech Market Entrance Strategies examines the key issues that need to be addressed by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies alike in order to successfully achieve return on investment. The American, European and Japanese markets are undergoing constant harmonisation changes, which are leading to a globalisation of operating procedures and state intervention in healthcare and drug cost containment. This trend has an important impact on the overall environment facing the drug and biotechnology industry - on the one hand, facilitating access to a wider patient base but, on the other, raising the stakes of key pricing and reimbursement decisions.

Pricing can no longer be considered separate to reimbursement, while parallel trade threatens to undermine companies’ wider regional efforts to achieve the best price for their products. Lifecycle management issues increasingly involve tailor-made medicines, pharmacogenomics and similar disciplines, as well as greater co- operation within the industry and outside its boundaries. This report examines these issues in great detail and helps the reader navigate this increasingly complex field.