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The week delivered more pricing and policy changes across China, Europe, the UK and the Middle East; China in particular had a busy week as it announced the release date for the 2026 NRDL and Commercial Catalog, and launched its new national Drug Price Registration SystemIn Europe, NICE detailed implementation of the 2026 QALY threshold change, France’s PLFSS entered a turbulent second reading, and Member States adopted a position on the Critical Medicines Act despite internal divisionsThe Middle East was also in the spotlight, with Saudi Arabia publishing draft pricing reforms, proposing changes to many areas of the system
China’s updated National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) and the new Commercial Health Insurance Innovative Drug Catalog will be unveiled on December 7th in Guangzhou, with a live stream available on the NHSA websiteA follow-up event in Beijing on December 9th will further explain the changes. Expect deeper dives into how the lists illuminate the country's insurance policies and market access concernsThe new lists, active from January 1, 2026, feature drugs with price cuts of 15-50%. CAR-T therapies and Alzheimer’s treatments were key topics during negotiations. Firms weighed wider access through the standard NRDL versus premium options associated with the new list
It was recently confirmed that NICE will raise its cost-effectiveness threshold to £25,000–£35,000 per QALY starting April 2026. The Institute held a webinar yesterday to answer questions around implementation For ongoing appraisals, NICE will classify them into three groups: cost-effective under the old threshold (recommend and publish), not cost-effective currently but qualifying under new thresholds (decision delayed until April 2026), and still not cost-effective under new rules (publish negative guidance) As for reopening previous negative recommendations, the speakers clarified that a change in threshold does not constitute new evidence; past guidance can only be reconsidered if new clinical or economic evidence is provided. Further, the change does not affect the severity modifier in any way.
The U.S. and the UK have entered into a highly anticipated pharmaceutical trade agreement that will see Britain pay more for new medicines in exchange for zero tariffs; the changes will be introduced by April 2026Specifically, the UK government will ask the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to increase its cost-effectiveness thresholds by increasing the maximum cost per QALY from £20,000-£30,000 to £25,000-£35,000. The increased payments will apply to all new medicines, not just U.S. drugs, and will not affect prices of existing treatments. The UK has also committed to lowering the repayment rate owed by companies under the current Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing and Access (VPAG) scheme to 15% in 2026 and will maintain that rate or lower for the duration of the schemeIn exchange, the U.S. has agreed to exempt UK pharmaceutical and medical technology exports from tariffs for the duration of President Trump’s term, making the UK the only country so far to secure a 0% tariff on pharmaceutical exports
The EU’s Health Technology Assessment Coordination Group (HTACG) has formally adopted its 2026 Work Program, as approved by consensus at the group’s 17th meeting on 28 November in BrusselsHealth technology developers seeking Joint Scientific Consultations (JSCs) will have four request periods next year: 07 January to 04 February 2026, 01 to 29 April 2026, 03 June to 01 July 2026 and, 23 September to 21 October 2026The Commission stated that 10 JCAs are currently ongoing and seven JSCs have been initiated to date; in 2026, the HTACG expects to conduct 8–12 JSCs for medicinal products and 2–5 for medical devices
We at NAVLIN Daily are thankful for all our customers and want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for being patient while our news was limited on Thursday and Friday, we will now resume as usual from MondayLast week, in the eleventh hour before Thanksgiving, the Trump administration published its final prices for the 15 prescription drugs selected for the second round of negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with discounts ranging from 38% to 85% compared to current list prices. Janumet, Breo Ellipta, and Tradjenta face the steepest discounts; meanwhile, Austedo landed the lowest discount of the groupMeanwhile in Europe, as the UK released its budget, local media reported that the government is in advanced negotiations with the White House on a deal that could see the NHS pay substantially more for U.S.-made medicines, and France’s draft Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) continues to cause disagreements
United Arab Emirates's Justlife, a home services platform, is now offering doorstep delivery of prescription weight-loss medicines, like Wegovy and Mounjaro, through licensed clinicsThe company plans to connect users with licensed medical partners who handle all clinical decisions, including consultations, assessments, prescriptions, and treatment plansThe platform operates in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman
South Korea has released the full details of its hotly-anticipated Pharmaceutical Pricing System Improvement PlanThe reform focuses on three key areas: incentives for innovative R&D and new drugs; strengthened mechanisms for supply of essential medicines; and a revised, more aggressive price-reduction framework for genericsSpecifically, the document includes an expansion of the dual-pricing mechanism, a shorter reimbursement timeline for rare disease drugs, higher ICER thresholds, incentives to encourage domestic production of essential medicines, and a phased reduction of the long-standing “2012 half-price rule” baseline from 53.55% to 40%
While the French Senate adopted on first reading, with amendments, the draft financing of social security (PLFSS) for 2026, by 196 votes to 119, a subsequent joint committee meeting composed of seven deputies and seven senators did not manage to reach an agreement on this textDuring the Senate explanations of the vote, Senator for Meurthe-et-Moselle, Ms. Silvana Silvani warned that the 2026 Social Security Financing Bill presented on October 14 was “particularly regressive,” marked by “numerous setbacks in the scope of social security reimbursements” and by “the leap in austerity policy on spending health.” She added that the Senate majority had also “eliminated price transparency of the drug,” a change she linked to the broader dismantling of protections within the healthcare systemAs a result of the Senate’s significant modifications and the committee’s failure to find a compromise, the National Assembly will now take up the text for a second reading on December 2, with a formal vote expected by December 9
According to the European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE), EU Institutions are coming close to a final agreement on the revision of the General Pharmaceutical LegislationOne area where EUCOPE urges the negotiators to be cautious is the new access framework, particularly in combination with changes such as the U.S. Most Favored Nation (MFN). According to the group, it would create a “too stringent environment” for innovative companies, who may have to delay launching in the EU, causing “a terrible impact on patients.”EUCOPE calls for a more holistic approach that takes into account the realities of innovative companies, particularly small and mid-sized ones, and the specificities of different therapies and technologies
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