(Reuters) -AbbVie said on Monday it would launch its ovarian cancer drug Elahere in the UK at a list price matching that in the U.S. President Donald Trump has been demanding that drugmakers align domestic prices with the lowest levels paid by comparable high-income countries under the “most-favored-nation” policy. The U.S. pays nearly three times […]
Health
AbbVie to launch ovarian cancer drug in UK at US price
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(Reuters) -AbbVie said on Monday it would launch its ovarian cancer drug Elahere in the UK at a list price matching that in the U.S.
President Donald Trump has been demanding that drugmakers align domestic prices with the lowest levels paid by comparable high-income countries under the “most-favored-nation” policy.
The U.S. pays nearly three times more for prescription drugs compared to other developed nations.
Last week, Bristol Myers Squibb said it planned to launch schizophrenia drug Cobenfy in the UK next year at a price matching its U.S. list price.
AbbVie was one of the 17 drugmakers to receive letters from U.S. President Donald Trump in July outlining how they should cut prices to match those paid overseas.
The company was in discussions with Britain’s cost-effectiveness watchdog, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure the drug is valued fairly, the drugmaker said on Monday.
AbbVie said the talks will determine Elahere’s launch in the UK. The company did not immediately respond to a request on the pricing.
Unlike in the U.S., where market forces determine drug prices, European governments typically negotiate directly with companies to set prices for their national healthcare systems.
Elahere, available in the U.S. since 2022, belongs to a new class of treatments called antibody-drug conjugates, or “guided missile” drugs, that precisely target cancer cells, potentially reducing toxicity for other cells.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo and Sriraj Kalluvila)