MERCOSUR

As part of the latest gathering of Mercosur health ministers, officials from member countries and associates will discuss the policy of joint negotiations on the purchase of high-cost drugs. The event, to run from October 23 -25, will be held in Brasilia, as befits Brazil’s pro tempore presidency. The debates of the third and fourth rounds of negotiations on high-price medicines are set to resume, and will cover oncological drugs and drugs to combat hepatitis C.

The aim of the initiative is to generate a “centralized policy of buying high priced medicines” in the region, as Argentine Minister Adolfo Rubinstein indicated during the round of negotiations held in Bariloche in June, 2019. Eight countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) and five pharmaceutical companies participated.

The joint purchase policy aims to “reduce acquisition prices for the entire region and achieve a homogeneous and competitive price for all participating countries”. The Ministry of Health of Argentina said the negotiations in the last meeting achieved “reductions that vary, depending on the country, between a maximum of 80% and a minimum of 50%”.