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Parallel Imports of Pharmaceutical Products in the European Union

Author

Listed:
  • Ganslandt, Mattias

    (The Research Institute of Industrial Economics)

  • Maskus, Keith E.

    (Department of Economics)

Abstract

We study the effects of parallel trade in the pharmaceutical industry. We develop a model in which an original manufacturer competes in its home market with parallel-importing firms. The theoretical analysis results in two key hypotheses. First, if the potential for parallel imports is unlimited, the manufacturer chooses deterrence and international prices converge. Second, with endogenously limited arbitrage the manufacturing firm accommodates and the price in the home market falls as the volume of parallel trade rises. Simple empirical tests favor the accommodation hypothesis with a time lag. Using data from Sweden we find that the prices of drugs subject to competition from parallel imports increased less than other drugs during the period 1995-1998. Approximately 3/4 of this effect on be attributed to lower prices of parallel imports and 1/4 to lower prices charged by the manufacturing firm. Econometric analysis find that rents to parallel importers (or resource costs in parallel trade) could be more than the gain to consumers from lower prices.

Suggested Citation

  • Ganslandt, Mattias & Maskus, Keith E., 2001. "Parallel Imports of Pharmaceutical Products in the European Union," Working Paper Series 546, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:0546
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ganslandt, Mattias & Maskus, Keith E., 2001. "Parallel imports of pharmaceutical products in the European Union," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2630, The World Bank.
    2. Klepper, Gernot, 1992. "Pharmaceuticals - Who's Afraid of `1992'?," CEPR Discussion Papers 675, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Gene M. Grossman & Edwin L.‐C. Lai, 2008. "Parallel imports and price controls," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(2), pages 378-402, June.
    2. Kyle Margaret, 2011. "Strategic Responses to Parallel Trade," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(2), pages 1-34, January.
    3. Kristina M. Lybecker, 2008. "Keeping it real: anticounterfeiting strategies in the pharmaceutical industry," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(5), pages 389-405.
    4. Steve Thompson, 2009. "Grey Power: An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Parallel Imports on Market Prices," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 219-232, September.
    5. Izabela Jelovac & Catalina Bordoy, 2005. "Pricing and Welfare Implications of Parallel Imports in the Pharmaceutical Industry," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 5-21, January.
    6. Ganslandt, Mattias & Maskus, Keith E., 2004. "Parallel imports and the pricing of pharmaceutical products: evidence from the European Union," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 1035-1057, September.
    7. Keith E. Maskus & Yongmin Chen, 2004. "Vertical Price Control and Parallel Imports: Theory and Evidence," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(4), pages 551-570, September.
    8. Valletti, Tommaso M., 2006. "Differential pricing, parallel trade, and the incentive to invest," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 314-324, September.
    9. Stähler, Frank & Maskus, Keith, 2013. "Retailers as Agents and the Absence of Parallel Trade," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79737, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    10. Li, Changying & Maskus, Keith E., 2006. "The impact of parallel imports on investments in cost-reducing research and development," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 443-455, March.
    11. Ganslandt, Mattias & Maskus, Keith E., 2001. "Parallel imports of pharmaceutical products in the European Union," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2630, The World Bank.
    12. Bordoy, Catalina & Jelovac, Izabela, 2003. "Pricing and Welfare of Parallel Imports in the Pharmaceutical Industry," Research Memorandum 004, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    13. Paula K Lorgelly, 2018. "The Impact of Brexit on Pharmaceuticals and HTA," PharmacoEconomics - Open, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 87-91, June.
    14. Richard Friberg, 2003. "Common Currency, Common Market?," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 0305, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    15. Shen Guo & Bin Hu & Hai Zhong, 2013. "Impact of parallel trade on pharmaceutical firm’s profits: rise or fall?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 14(2), pages 345-355, April.

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    1. Ganslandt, Mattias & Maskus, Keith E., 2004. "Parallel imports and the pricing of pharmaceutical products: evidence from the European Union," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(5), pages 1035-1057, September.
    2. Richard Friberg, 2003. "Common Currency, Common Market?," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 0305, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    3. Gene M. Grossman & Edwin L.‐C. Lai, 2008. "Parallel imports and price controls," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 39(2), pages 378-402, June.
    4. Kyle Margaret, 2011. "Strategic Responses to Parallel Trade," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(2), pages 1-34, January.
    5. Steve Thompson, 2009. "Grey Power: An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Parallel Imports on Market Prices," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 219-232, September.
    6. Izabela Jelovac & Catalina Bordoy, 2005. "Pricing and Welfare Implications of Parallel Imports in the Pharmaceutical Industry," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 5-21, January.
    7. Li, Changying & Maskus, Keith E., 2006. "The impact of parallel imports on investments in cost-reducing research and development," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 443-455, March.
    8. Bordoy, Catalina & Jelovac, Izabela, 2003. "Pricing and Welfare of Parallel Imports in the Pharmaceutical Industry," Research Memorandum 004, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    9. Keith E. Maskus & Yongmin Chen, 2004. "Vertical Price Control and Parallel Imports: Theory and Evidence," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(4), pages 551-570, September.
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    12. Paula K Lorgelly, 2018. "The Impact of Brexit on Pharmaceuticals and HTA," PharmacoEconomics - Open, Springer, vol. 2(2), pages 87-91, June.
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    14. Kristina M. Lybecker, 2008. "Keeping it real: anticounterfeiting strategies in the pharmaceutical industry," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(5), pages 389-405.
    15. Valletti, Tommaso M., 2006. "Differential pricing, parallel trade, and the incentive to invest," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 314-324, September.
    16. Shen Guo & Bin Hu & Hai Zhong, 2013. "Impact of parallel trade on pharmaceutical firm’s profits: rise or fall?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 14(2), pages 345-355, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Parallel Imports; International Arbitrage; Drug Pricing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • I11 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Analysis of Health Care Markets
    • L12 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Monopoly; Monopolization Strategies

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