Rising international pressure on EU medicine pricing could impact both patients and health systems. The current U.S. administration plans to use tariffs to bring its trading partners to raise medicine prices, allegedly shifting costs outside the United States, the so called “Most Favored Nation” policy.  

EU Member States already face high medicine costs and strained health budgets. At the same time, large pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasing pressure to protect benefits. The bloc must decide how to defend affordable and fair pricing and secure innovative medicine supplies.  

This BEUC webinar will gather public, non-profit and private sector experts from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss how the EU can respond to external pressure while ensuring patients have access to consistent supplies of affordable medicines.  

Our speakers: 

• Benedetta Baldini, Senior Policy Advisor, European Social Insurance Platform (ESIP)
• Peter Maybarduk, Access to Medicines Director, Public Citizen
• Charlotte Roffiaen, EU Affairs Advisor, France Assos Santé
• Adrian van den Hoven, Director General, Medicines for Europe
   

Moderated by Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif, MD, Physician and Freelance Health Reporter

Discussion points:  

• What would yielding to U.S. pressure entail for EU patients in terms of medicine prices? Can the Most Favored Nation policy really decrease medicine prices in the U.S.?  
• How can the bloc best incentivise industry research and development in Europe in ways that ensure fair pricing for patients? Could there be transatlantic collaboration mechanisms?  
• What concrete pricing and reimbursement measures can the EU adopt to keep medicine prices in check?  
• Are there some best practices among EU Member States that the bloc could draw inspiration from?