German Funds Fear New Spending Rise

The German federation of interior health funds fears a rise in drugspending costs of 3-35 billion Deutschemarks ($1.63-$1.90 billion) in 1998, which is an increase of 8.5%-10% for medicines alone.

It says this is due to the softer line being adopted on pack sizes, which are difficult to control and undermine medical budgets. It is calling for tight regulations to emerge from the next phase of negotiations over pack sizes.

- The German drug industry is still behind the international competition in the gentech sector, although conditions in Germany have improved, it is reported. In 1996, a total of 6,300 gentech products were registered with the German Patent Office, of which only 820 were from German companies.