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INDIA MAY ADOPT PER
CAPITA INCOME-LINKED
REFERENCE PRICING
MECHANISM FOR BRANDED
DRUGS
The Indian government is to introduce a
new per capita income-linked reference
pricing mechanism for branded
prescription medicines following
recommendations from a task group
looking at ways to regulate drug prices.
Pharmaceuticals secretary Dilsher Singh
Kalha recently indicated that the
committee had finalised its proposal,
adding that "there could be a reference
pricing system or maybe fixed pricing,
but a final decision has not been taken."
The Economic Times noted that under
the proposed system, prices of patented
drugs would be fixed by comparing the
cost at which they are procured by
governments in the UK, Canada, France,
Australia and New Zealand. The
committee suggested that the retail
price should be fixed by adjusting it to
the per capita income of the country.
According to the task group, Roche's
Tarceva (erlotinib) costs around 121,000
rupees ($2170) in Australia and France,
while it costs 35,450 rupees ($636) in
India. However, when adjusted for per
capita income, the price falls to 10,309
rupees ($185) and 11,643 rupees ($209),
respectively, for Australia and France.
The committee has reportedly
recommended that the Indian retail
price should be at these levels, with the
formula applicable to all patented drugs
that don't have a therapeutic equivalent
on the market. For products that have
similar alternatives already on the
market, the task group said the price of
these drugs should be fixed at a level
that does not lead to an overall increase
in the treatment cost. According to the
newspaper, under the proposals, if the
global launch of a patented drug takes
place in India, the retail price should be
based on several factors, including the
cost of developing the medicine. The
Organisation of Pharmaceutical
Producers of India (OPPI) said that the
recommendations are fundamentally
flawed and has sought further
discussions with the government. "To
apply the ratio of per capita income of
India and a developed country to arrive
at the in-market price of an imported
patented product manufactured in a
developed country with a totally
different cost structure will be highly
irrational and construed as comparison
between apples and oranges," remarked
OPPI director-general Tapan Ray.
However, the Indian Pharmaceutical
Alliance has supported the reference-
based system, noting that the
government should select developed
countries because in these markets it is
the governments that fund healthcare
and are, therefore, able to negotiate
lower prices.
GLAXOSMITHKLINE TO
DIVEST MAJORITY OF
PRODUCTS IN AUSTRALIA TO
ASPEN PHARMACARE FOR
$172 MILLION
GlaxoSmithKline announced that it
agreed to divest the majority of its
"Classic Brands" distributed in Australia
to Aspen Pharmacare for approximately
172 million pounds ($270 million).
GlaxoSmithKline remarked that the
move is an example of the company's
"commitment to realise value and
enhance returns to shareholders
through the sale of low-growth or non-
core businesses, and to focus on priority
brands, products and pipeline
opportunities that have long term
growth potential." The 25 non-promoted
and genericised products to be divested
include Valtrex, Lamictal, Timentin,
Amoxil and Aropax. The products
generated total sales of approximately
83 million pounds ($131 million) in 2011
and about 31 million pounds ($49
million) in the first half of this year.
GlaxoSmithKline noted that revenues for
these products have "gradually declined
over recent years due to local market
price reductions and generic
competition." Aspen stated that the
ziA r
deal, which is expected to close in the
fourth quarter, could be subject to a
small price reduction if the divestiture is
not completed by October 31.
GlaxoSmithKline estimated that 2012
pre-tax net profit on the disposal of the
products will be 131 million pounds
($205 million) and will be recorded as a
non-core item. In April, GlaxoSmithKline
divested some of its international over-
the-counter brands to Aspen for 164
million pounds ($264 million). In
addition, the UK drugmaker also reached
deals to divest other non-core OTC
brands in North America and Europe to
Prestige Brands and Omega Pharma,
respectively.
BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB
COMPLETES TENDER OFFER
FOR AMYLIN
Bristol-Myers Squibb announced the
successful completion of its previously
announced tender offer for all
outstanding shares of common stock of
Amylin Pharmaceuticals at a purchase
price of $31.00 per share, or about $5
billion. As of the expiration of the offer
on August 7, 140.55 million shares of
Amylin common stock were validly
tendered and not withdrawn and Bristol-
Myers Squibb noted that all such shares
have been accepted for payment in
accordance with the terms of the tender
offer. Bristol-Myers Squibb now owns
approximately 85.6 percent of the
outstanding shares of Amylin and
indicated that it has exercised its right to
purchase additional shares from Amylin
in order to close the deal. Upon
completion of the merger, Amylin will
become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Bristol-Myers Squibb. As previously
announced, Bristol-Myers Squibb will
also enter a marketing partnership with
AstraZeneca once the Amylin merger is
completed. Under the agreement, which
will see the companies developing and
marketing Amylin's drugs, AstraZeneca
will make a payment of approximately
$3.4 billion to Bristol-Myers Squibb.
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