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SuisseMedicines’ prices: “Trump is right”, according to a green elected official
Donald Trump wants to surcharge drugs to lower prices. In Switzerland, the Green Manuela Weichelt plans to offer a tax on too high profits.
Medicines are too expensive in the United States. And Donald Trump wants to change the situation. On Tuesday, the American president announced that he intended to gradually introduce a drug tax that could ultimately climb up to 250%. Switzerland will not be spared. The Republican has also launched an ultimatum in Roche and Novartis so that they apply highly lower prices in the United States. The two giants have until September 29, to show “firm commitments”, failing which Trump “will use all means” to gain their case.
Motion in sight against too large benefits
This inflexible method also inspires in Switzerland. The Zuguese national advisor Manuela Weichelt is not a supporter of Donald Trump, “but he is right about the price of medicines,” she claims. In Switzerland, expenses in this area are high and for Green, there is no doubt: “Pharmaceutical companies garner exorbitant dividends at the expense of bonus payers.”
It therefore plans to file a motion this fall, asking the Federal Council to engage in favor of low price for medicines. And this, for all countries. A tax on profits deemed too large made on essential patented drugs could for example be envisaged. The opportunity to guarantee more transparency while strengthening Switzerland’s position against Trump.
The “worst scenario for patients”
“This is the worst scenario for patients,” retorts Marcel Plattner, president of the association of pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland. “We would have no incentive to develop innovations”. In addition, according to him, such a change would worsen the shortage of certain drugs, already affected, “because their production is not profitable”. Unsurprisingly, the pharmaceutical industry therefore intends to oppose Manuela Weichelt motion.
“The principle is good, the no tool”
For Baptiste Hurni, advisor to the States (PS/NE) and vice-president of the Swiss patient organization, “the principle that Manuela Weichelt defends is good, but the tool not”. The Neuchâtel believes that it would be difficult to concretely tax the excess profits. A simpler solution, according to him, would be to require complete transparency on the costs and profits of drugs. Thus, drugs whose margins are unreasonable (beyond 5 to 6%) may no longer be reimbursed by the LAMAL.
The elected officials of the bourgeois parties are skeptical in front of the future motion. Asked, the national councilor Lorenz Hess (C/BE) considers that “it’s not the time” for such a change, especially since the Parliament adopted measures in the spring to slow down the increase in health costs. His colleague Rémy Wyssmann (UDC/SO) judges that a tax on the profits deemed in surplus would open the door to the arbitrariness.
