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The Korean National Assembly approved the drug pricing reform plan, opening the doors to its final review by the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee on Thursday. The plan includes lowering the price reduction rate for generic and off-patent drugs to the "low to mid-40%" range, far from the industry's proposed rate of 48.2%Lawmakers debated countermeasures for the potential fallout, such as drugmakers cutting costs via CSO partnerships. They also discussed revising the 1+3 system (which allows generics to share bioequivalence data), price premium incentives for generics from certified innovative firms, preferential pricing for critical drug producers to stabilize supply, and extending the stepwise pricing system’s start from the 11th to the 13th productIndustry concerns were largely ignored despite requests for consultation. The reform’s steep cuts may force domestic companies to implement drastic cost-saving measures that could ripple across the drug supply chain
Italy’s Medicines Agency (AIFA) has adopted a new document on the Harmonization of Procedures for Simplifying the Price and Reimbursement Negotiation ProcessThe initiative aims to reduce the time required to complete procedures for determining price and reimbursement eligibility, accelerating market access for specific categories of drugs and allowing the Scientific and Economic Commission (CSE) to focus its activities on dossiers requiring more complex evaluations“This is an important step toward simplifying and reducing bureaucracy at the Agency,” says AIFA President Robert Nisticò. “Having updated and harmonized negotiation procedures means we can ensure faster and more transparent processes, and thus more timely access for patients to reimbursed therapies”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Health has approved an updated list of medicines and medical products eligible for reimbursement under the national Affordable Medicines program, with the changes set to take effect on March 31Starting in April, 37 new medications in various dosages will be added to the list, including treatments for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseasesAccording to the Ministry of Health, funding for the Affordable Medicines program increased by UAH 1.8 billion this year and amounts to UAH 8.7 billion (in 2025 — UAH 6.9 billion), adding: “This will allow even more Ukrainians to receive the necessary drugs free of charge or with a partial surcharge”
Last week, NAVLIN Daily covered key developments across the globe, including additions to TrumpRx, progressing EU legislation, and new pathways introduced for medicines in the UKMeanwhile, the South Korean industry continued to push back on planned reforms, and Spanish health ministers defended the country’s ongoing HTA decree MFN continued to make headlines as the Trump administration reportedly pushed Congress to codify the policy, while pharma companies began to rethink international out-licensing to avoid international pricing spillover risks
Spain’s ruling parties have come under scrutiny after tabling a controversial amendment that would permanently shield the real prices of publicly funded medicines from disclosureThe proposal, put forward by the Socialist (PSOE) and SUMAR parliamentary groups, appears in a package of amendments to a bill aimed at strengthening the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities"The confidentiality of net prices and financing terms for medicines covered by the National Health System is a strategic factor in preserving the State’s negotiating power, ensuring budgetary sustainability, and guaranteeing equitable access to therapeutic innovation,” the groups stated. “This principle now faces a twofold threat: growing international pressure stemming from external price reference policies—such as the “Most Favored Nation” clause promoted by the U.S.—and the risk that a restrictive judicial interpretation of Article 97.3 of the Law on Guarantees could compel the disclosure of actual prices and financing agreements, with structural effects on spending and the pharmaceutical market”
India's pharma market heats up as the patent for semaglutide expires in March 2026. Over 10 local firms, including Dr. Reddy’s, Sun Pharma, Glenmark, Natco Pharma, and Zydus, have launched cheaper generics, slashing treatment costs and expanding access to diabetes and obesity therapiesPrice wars are intense. Natco leads with Semanat and Semafull at $15.5/month, while Glenmark follows with Glipiq at $16–$21 per month. Alkem offers reusable and disposable options for nearly $21.6 per month, while Zydus offers reusable pen models Semaglyn, Mashema, and Alterme for $26.5 per monthMore premium products come from Sun Pharma 36–$96 per month, Dr. Reddy’s, $50.6m per month, and Torrent Pharma, $48.2 per month
A recurring theme at this year’s World Evidence, Pricing and Access (EPA) congress was the growing discomfort, from both industry and policy stakeholders, with how narrowly medicines are assessed within healthcare systemsJose Diaz, Global Health Systems Economics & Value of Innovation Lead at BMS, highlighted how medicines are often framed primarily as a cost to be contained, rather than an input that shapes outcomes across the wider systemDiaz stated that to advance the current debate on healthcare financial sustainability, it is “imperative to consider both key major drivers of health care expenditure and trends in pharmaceutical expenditure”
New analyses from both the New York Times (NYT) and Reuters found that discounted prices offered on TrumpRx are often still more expensive than negotiated prices in other countries, despite claims that the new website offers the lowest drug prices in the worldThe NYT found that out of 24 directly comparable medicines, greater than half were cheaper in Germany than on the TrumpRx website. Reuters, meanwhile, determined that prices offered for close to a third of the 54 drugs currently available on TrumpRx were lower in the UKThese reports represent the latest criticism of TrumpRx, which has been the object of intense scrutiny as stakeholders try to determine the true impact of the new service
The European Parliament’s Public Health Committee (SANT) has approved key trilogue agreements on the overhaul of the EU’s pharmaceutical legislationIn a vote held earlier today, Committee members backed both the proposed Regulation (29 votes in favour, 3 against, 6 abstentions) and Directive (30 in favour, 2 against, 6 abstentions), paving the way for the next stage of the legislative processThe next step will see the EU Council formally adopt its position at a first reading, expected by the end of September. Final approval by the European Parliament is expected by October 2, bringing the legislation closer to implementation across member states
At the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Conference in Manchester, NICE and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) discussed the two initiatives intended to accelerate patient access to innovative medicines.With the Aligned Pathway, NICE and MHRA reviews will be aligned to enable faster decisions with patient access 3 to 6 months earlier, supported by an improved Integrated Scientific Advice service to streamline evidence requirements and developmentIn October 2025, companies were invited to register as early adopters. To date, 27 companies have enrolled, with the first treatments now under review and initial NICE guidance anticipated by June 2026
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