Industry bodies oppose annual revision of Japan

Representatives from Japan's pharmaceutical industry organizations such as the Federation of Pharmaceutical Associations of Japan, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations have united to oppose the introduction of an annual revision of the National Health Insurance drug price by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare at a meeting of the expert committee on NHI drug price of Japan's Chuikyo (Central Social Medical Insurance Council), which convened on July 26.

Three pharma groups oppose NHI plan

Kiyoshi Morita, president of the FPMAJ and chairman of Daiichi Sankyo, said: "if the NHI drug price system allows the price to up and down, we have a room to consider the frequent revision because the system is fair." However, he went on to say that, since the system has a structural flaw allowing the price only to decrease, it is unfair, and because the provisional shipment deals (those without final price agreements and for lump-sum bulk buying) have not been settled, the introduction of the annual revision would create additional confusion in the marketplace.