Medicines deal ‘to save NHS £14 billion’
The body representing Britain’s pharmaceutical industry has reached an NHS branded sales agreement with the government after months of disputes and warnings that one of the country’s key growth sectors was losing international ground.
The new five-year agreement has been championed by ministers as saving the NHS £14 billion, improving access to cutting-edge treatments and incentivising the development of innovative medicines.
The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) cautiously welcomed it as a “tough deal” but one which should allow the sector to grow faster than it has under the previous scheme to increase the UK’s international competitiveness “over time”.
The deal comes before a meeting of chief executives and senior ministers at the biannual government’s life sciences council tomorrow.
Medicines represent the second-highest
