Ending Drug Companies' Addiction to Price Rises

Drug companies are dosing up on price increases to prop up stagnant sales, but will soon need to break that addiction as more medicines face generic competition. Industry executives -- notably on the pharmacy management and specialty drugs side -- told the Reuters Health Summit this week that prices for some drugs have been sharply increased because manufacturers need to make up for a lack of new products and the loss of patent protection on older medicines. "Prices were just shoved up every year to make more money and meet earnings, to be blunt," Shire (SHP.L) Chief Executive Angus Russell said.

Back to news