Novartis considers price dictate for Entresto in the USA unconstitutional
Published: Thursday, Aug 15th 2024, 15:50
Back to Live Feed
Novartis has spoken out against the price-fixing regulations for its drug Entresto in the USA. In a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, the pharmaceutical company described the provisions, which were made as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as unconstitutional.
In addition, the provisions would have long-lasting and devastating consequences for patients, as they would restrict access to medicines in the future, Novartis writes further. Novartis only agreed to an unspecified "maximum fair price" for the year 2026 in order to avoid other negative consequences. For example, severe fines or the removal of all Novartis products from the US health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid were on the table.
"The pricing process is neither objective nor transparent and does not reflect the true value of a medicine," writes Novartis. In addition, the company believes that the pricing provisions in the IRA inhibit innovation and the development of new medicines.
Entresto is a heart medication for people with heart failure. According to Novartis, it has always endeavored to ensure that the drug is also affordable. For example, around 98 percent of Medicare patients currently pay an average of just USD 29 per month for the drug.
©Keystone/SDA
English 
German 
French 
Spanish 
Arabic