Finish Pharma argues over drug pricing board reimbursement decision

At a recent meeting, the Finnish Pharmaceuticals Pricing Board decided to adopt the reimbursement status of two patented antipsychotics for a short period of time only. In one of the cases, the practical implication of the decision is the cancelling of the reimbursement status of a medicine with valid patent protection.

While one of the decisions is motivated by the fact that a more affordable generic copy has been introduced to the market, the other view is based on the PPB waiting for changes in the sector.

The PPB is making use of the weakness of the Finnish patent legislation, or the fact that, in Finland, a copy can enter the market prematurely compared with the European norm, in other words when the innovative medicine still has a valid patent in force, says the country's drugmakers association, the PIF.