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The Determinants Of Pricing In Pharmaceuticals: Are Us Prices Really So High?

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  • Antonio Cabrales
  • Sergi Jiménez‐Martín

Abstract

This paper studies price determination in pharmaceutical markets using data for 25 countries, 6 years, and a comprehensive list of products from the MIDAS IMS database. A key finding is that the USA has prices that are not significantly higher than those of countries with similar income levels, especially those that are ‘lightly regulated’. More importantly, price differences to the US levels increase for ‘branded’, world top selling, or innovative products, and decrease, regardless of the level of regulation for mature or widely diffused molecules. Because prices for top selling molecules may be easier to perceive and recollect and more important for companies, they may bias the public discussion about international price differences. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Antonio Cabrales & Sergi Jiménez‐Martín, 2013. "The Determinants Of Pricing In Pharmaceuticals: Are Us Prices Really So High?," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(11), pages 1377-1397, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:22:y:2013:i:11:p:1377-1397
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.2887
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    2. Simona Gamba & Paolo Pertile & Sabine Vogler, 2020. "The impact of managed entry agreements on pharmaceutical prices," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(S1), pages 47-62, October.
    3. Gamba, S.; & Pertile, P.; & Righetti, G.;, 2022. "Spillovers of Pharmaceutical Price Regulations: evidence from the AMNOG Reform in Germany," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 22/20, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    4. Suppliet, Moritz & Herr, Annika, 2016. "Cost-Sharing and Drug Pricing Strategies : Introducing Tiered Co-Payments in Reference Price Markets," Other publications TiSEM 4d692f0e-8577-4392-b413-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Hugo Vilares & Manuel Coutinho Pereira, 2014. "A review of the pharmaceutical market in Portugal," Economic Bulletin and Financial Stability Report Articles and Banco de Portugal Economic Studies, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    6. Paolo Pertile & Simona Gamba & Martin Forster, 2018. "Free-Riding in Pharmaceutical Price Regulation: Theory and Evidence," Discussion Papers 18/04, Department of Economics, University of York.

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