Two advocacy groups are demanding that the United Kingdom revoke regulations central to a new trade agreement with the U.S., citing concerns that the deal could permit external influences on the cost-effectiveness assessments of medicines. Should the government fail to comply with their demands, the groups are prepared to initiate legal proceedings.
The trade agreement, finalized last month, includes a commitment from the Trump administration to maintain zero tariffs on U.K. medicine exports for a minimum of three years. This arrangement is particularly noteworthy as it positions the U.K. as the sole nation with tariff-free access to the U.S. pharmaceutical market.
In exchange, the U.K. government has made concessions to the pharmaceutical sector, pledging to increase medicine spending from 0.3% of GDP to 0.35% by 2028, eventually reaching 0.6% by 2035. Concurrently, the National Health Service plans to raise the prices it pays for medicines by 25% while reducing the maximum rebate from drugmakers to 15%.
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