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In a final draft guidance, the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) for cardiovascular risk reduction, as an add-on to standard care in high-risk patientsEvidence from the phase III SELECT trial showed a 20% reduction in major cardiovascular events with Wegovy versus placebo, supporting its clinical benefit and cost-effectiveness for the NHSAccording to NICE’s document, the list price of Wegovy varies by dose, ranging from £73.25 to £175.80 per pack (excluding VAT)
Novo Nordisk has slashed prices of its diabetes and weight-loss drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, in India by up to 36% and 48%, respectively, as it faces growing competition from cheaper generic versionsIndia’s market is shifting quickly after the patent expiry, with companies including Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Zydus Lifesciences, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, and Torrent Pharma, launching generic semaglutide drugs priced up to 70% lower in some casesThe company had already cut Wegovy prices by up to 37% last year in anticipation of increased generic competition
According to STAT News, the Trump administration now has legislative text to codify its voluntary Most Favored Nation (MFN) drug pricing deals and is looking to meet with manufacturers to discuss the proposalAlthough the text has not yet been made public, according to a White House official, the draft proposal closely follows the outlines of the voluntary deals the administration has struck with pharmaceutical companies so far. Additionally, the legislation includes a provision that would allow medicines purchased in cash through direct-to-patient (DTP) programs to count toward a patient’s deductibleHowever, the Trump administration continues to run into opposition from both manufacturers and members of Congress
Last week, NAVLIN Daily covered key developments across the globe, including new findings on TrumpRx prices, South Korea approving its drug pricing reforms, and Spain facing scrutiny over pricing transparency Italy moved to simplify price and reimbursement negotiations, while the Spanish government tabled an amendment to keep drug prices secret in response to U.S. MFN pricing In India, semaglutide prices crashed to around USD 15 per month following the March 2026 patent expiry
At EPA Congress 2026 in Amsterdam, Anna Smith, NAVLIN Daily's Head of News, spoke with Maria Eriksson, medical assessor at Sweden's Dental and Pharmaceutical Benefits Agency (TLV)Eriksson presented at the congress, noting that Nordic authorities believe they are well prepared for the transition to joint EU HTA, owing to their longstanding involvement in European HTA cooperationStay tuned as we publish interviews with other speakers and experts we interviewed at EPA
The High Health Authority (HAS) of France is in favor of reimbursing Insmed’s Brinsupri (brensocatib) for the treatment of non–cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in patients aged 12 years and older who have experienced at least two exacerbations in the previous 12 monthsTo help HAS come to a decision, the Transparency Committee (TC) looked at data from the Phase III ASPEN trial and the Phase II WILLOW study, both randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trialsHAS determined the medical service (SMR) provided by Brinsupri is “Moderate,” while the actual therapeutic benefit is “Absence V” with a proposed reimbursement rate of 30%
The Korean National Assembly approved the drug pricing reform plan, opening the doors to its final review by the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee on Thursday. The plan includes lowering the price reduction rate for generic and off-patent drugs to the "low to mid-40%" range, far from the industry's proposed rate of 48.2%Lawmakers debated countermeasures for the potential fallout, such as drugmakers cutting costs via CSO partnerships. They also discussed revising the 1+3 system (which allows generics to share bioequivalence data), price premium incentives for generics from certified innovative firms, preferential pricing for critical drug producers to stabilize supply, and extending the stepwise pricing system’s start from the 11th to the 13th productIndustry concerns were largely ignored despite requests for consultation. The reform’s steep cuts may force domestic companies to implement drastic cost-saving measures that could ripple across the drug supply chain
Italy’s Medicines Agency (AIFA) has adopted a new document on the Harmonization of Procedures for Simplifying the Price and Reimbursement Negotiation ProcessThe initiative aims to reduce the time required to complete procedures for determining price and reimbursement eligibility, accelerating market access for specific categories of drugs and allowing the Scientific and Economic Commission (CSE) to focus its activities on dossiers requiring more complex evaluations“This is an important step toward simplifying and reducing bureaucracy at the Agency,” says AIFA President Robert Nisticò. “Having updated and harmonized negotiation procedures means we can ensure faster and more transparent processes, and thus more timely access for patients to reimbursed therapies”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Health has approved an updated list of medicines and medical products eligible for reimbursement under the national Affordable Medicines program, with the changes set to take effect on March 31Starting in April, 37 new medications in various dosages will be added to the list, including treatments for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseasesAccording to the Ministry of Health, funding for the Affordable Medicines program increased by UAH 1.8 billion this year and amounts to UAH 8.7 billion (in 2025 — UAH 6.9 billion), adding: “This will allow even more Ukrainians to receive the necessary drugs free of charge or with a partial surcharge”
Last week, NAVLIN Daily covered key developments across the globe, including additions to TrumpRx, progressing EU legislation, and new pathways introduced for medicines in the UKMeanwhile, the South Korean industry continued to push back on planned reforms, and Spanish health ministers defended the country’s ongoing HTA decree MFN continued to make headlines as the Trump administration reportedly pushed Congress to codify the policy, while pharma companies began to rethink international out-licensing to avoid international pricing spillover risks
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