Belgium
Belgium launches International Horizon Scanning Initiative to negotiate better prices for medicines
12 November 2019 - Posted by: Kaat Van Delm
The Belgian Minister of Health has announced in a press release that nine countries have decided to join forces to prepare for the arrival of new and expensive medicines, via the creation of the International Horizon Scanning Initiative (IHSI). The initiative was driven by the current debates concerning prices of medicines which are being perceived › Read More
Belgian Constitutional Court overrules sales restriction for wholesale distributors of medicines
08 November 2019 - Posted by: Kaat Van Delm
On 17 October 2019, the Belgian Constitutional Court rendered a final judgment , annulling Article 3.2° of the new legislation applicable to shortages of medicines in Belgium. The Article had banned the parallel export of medicines by Belgian wholesale distributors, requiring them to only supply medicines for human use to other Belgian wholesale distributors, licensed › Read More
Belgium: Minister of Economy imposes maximum price for orphan drug
25 September 2019 - Posted by: Claire Caillol
On 6 September 2019, the Minister of Economy announced in a communication that a maximum price for Leadiant Biosciences’ orphan drug, CDCA, which is used to treat the rare neurological disease, cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX), had been imposed. In Belgium, a drug manufacturer must file a request with the Ministry of Economy to fix the price › Read More
Belgian Constitutional Court suspends sales restriction for wholesale distributors of medicines
02 September 2019 - Posted by: Kaat Van Delm
On 18 July 2019, the Belgian Constitutional Court suspended Article 3.2 of the legislation applicable to shortages of medicines in Belgium, after receiving multiple applications for both suspension and annulment of the Article. The Article obliged Belgian wholesale distributors to only supply their medicines for human use to other Belgian wholesale distributors, licensed pharmacies or › Read More
Excessive pricing practices in the pharmaceutical sector – NCAs’ scrutiny continues
02 August 2019 - Posted by: Nele De Backer
Last week, the Belgian and Italian consumer associations Test Aankoop/Test Achats and Altroconsumo filed complaints with their respective national competition authorities, alleging that the pharmaceutical group Biogen is abusing its dominant position by charging excessively high prices for the medicine Spinraza, which it has the exclusive right to market as an orphan drug until 2029. › Read More