{
  "id": 8832522,
  "title": "Der Schweiz drohen happige Aufschläge bei neuen Medikamenten",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/der-schweiz-drohen-happige-aufschlage-bei-neuen-medikamenten",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-21T03:33:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "NZZ Wirtschaft",
    "slug": "nzz-wirtschaft",
    "url": "https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/der-schweiz-drohen-happige-aufschlaege-bei-neuen-medikamenten-ld.10024025"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "The United States has stopped tolerating Switzerland's significantly lower drug prices. For the pharmaceutical industry, this is a steep precedent that allows for a greater share of healthcare expenditures. President Donald Trump is clear that United States patients should no longer pay \"almost three times\" as much for medications as those in European countries or Japan. In May of the previous year, he issued an executive order to transition to the principle of most favored nation for drug prices in the United States. However, nearly a year and a half later, a law to implement this change still awaits approval in the United States. In the pharmaceutical business, this new regime has become a staple of daily operations. Over two dozen major drug manufacturers worldwide have now signed contracts with the American government, including Swiss heavyweights Roche and Novartis. These agreements obligate companies to bring new innovative drugs to the United States only at prices not exceeding a basket of eight countries, including Switzerland. Over three years, companies like Roche and Novartis benefit from tariff exemptions linked to these contracts. Both conglomerates export many medicines to the United States. However, Switzerland faces a problem. Due to the United States considering differences in purchasing power per capita, the well-off Switzerland appears even more profitable than before. According to industry circles, the country's ranking has slipped due to this BIP correction factor. A study of twelve medicines commissioned by the industry association Interpharma found that four products in Switzerland cost the second least compared to other reference countries in the United States. No product in Switzerland was the cheapest. If the additional burden Switzerland would have to bear due to the United States' perception of its higher per capita income is added, five products were the second cheapest and six the cheapest in total. Given this context, Switzerland risks having to accept considerable price increases. No pharmaceutical manufacturer will grant Switzerland further discounts compared to the United States in the future, according to industry representatives. The United States represents half of the total market, while Switzerland accounts for only 0.5 percent. Each pharmaceutical company with business in America will be cautious about lowering prices in the largest pharmaceutical market in the world due to concessions in Switzerland. Traditionally, new medications are launched first in the United States. Pharmaceutical companies not only benefit from the vastly largest sales market but also from an efficient testing procedure. As a result, the first price is set in the United States. Compared to Europe, the United States has a minimum six-month lead in market introductions, sometimes even up to a year and a half. This delay has not been surprising in terms of prices in Europe or Switzerland as well. However, it is not surprising that there has been little progress in drug prices in both regions. Still, noticeable effects are seen in approval requests. Due to uncertainty about how far pharmaceutical companies can enforce higher prices outside the United States, many have been waiting. In the first four months of this year, the European Union's approval agency received 25 percent fewer applications compared to the previous year. Analysts from the Dutch financial institute ING commented that this is a bad sign for European patients. Even in Switzerland, brake lines are emerging. According to an Interpharma survey, between early 2025 and mid-2026, three cases were reported where members' firms abandoned submitting an application for approval to the Swiss Medicinal Agency Swissmedic. The agency also noted that the number of approval applications for new therapies is declining across Europe. However, the agency still processes a large number of applications for listing innovative medicines as specialty drugs. However, agency officials acknowledge that the medical benefit of these medicines is unclear. The Federal Health Office (BAG) continues to consider a large number of applications for listing specialty drugs. However, agency officials sense an increased hesitancy among pharmaceutical companies.",
  "summary": "Die USA dulden nicht länger, dass die Schweiz bei den Medikamentenpreisen deutlich günstiger wegkommt. Für die Pharmabranche ist dies eine Steilvorlage. Sie kann sich einen höheren Anteil an den Gesundheitsausgaben sichern.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}