Ignore the ‘superpower’ boasts – UK pharma looks superchallenged

NHS crisis, withdrawal of tax credits and exit from EU blamed for fall in UK share of R&D marketBig pharma is unhappy about the prices it is being paid in the UK – a state of affairs the rest of us might instinctively regard as welcome, as it suggests the NHS is still world class when it comes to negotiating terms for branded medicines. The UK spends about 9% of its healthcare budget on such medicines; other large European countries report mid-teen percent ages.One response would be to tell the wealthy companies to count their blessings – or be quiet until NHS nurses have had a proper pay settlement and the patient backlog has been cleared. Hasn’t the pharma industry done well in the UK over many years from an arrangement that is broadly understood by both sides?Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Business Pharmaceuticals industry European Union Bayer Healthcare industry Research funding Biotechnology industry Medical research Education NHS Science Source Type: news