"Building New Perspectives" Workshop on International Reference Pricing and Differential Pricing of Pharmaceuticals: Implications for Asia-Pacific

Twenty-five experts from governments, academic organizations, industrial associations and pharmaceutical companies in Asia Pacific, EU and US met for two days at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus for the first “Building New Perspectives Workshop”, organized by Prof Gérard de Pouvourville and Mrs Annie Chicoye of the Institute of Health Economics and Management Asia-Pacific.

The objective of the workshop was to discuss value assessment and pricing of pharmaceuticals in the region, with a focus on the implications for stakeholders – be it payers, policy makers or companies – of considering the prices of medication in other countries when determining prices, especially when covered by a public or private health insurance. The role and limitations of this practice, referred to as “International Reference Pricing” (IRP), were explored in several countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea or China, and the European experience was presented. The relevance of IRP was discussed in the light of growing trends for differential pricing and value assessment. The participants agreed on a series of conclusions that are summarized in a short paper before they are further developed in a “working paper”.

The outcome of the workshop will also be presented in a panel session at the Health Technology Assessement International (HTAi) Conference on 12 May 2016, in Tokyo.