Group Says S. Korea Drug Regulator Gives Pfizer Favorable Treatment
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
South Korean drug makers and civic groups accuse Pfizer of being "too cozy" with the country's drug regulators, citing a case in which one of its products received favorable treatment. The U.S. firm's anti-cholesterol Lipitor (atorvastatin) earlier this month received favorable treatment during price-setting decisions by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, based on an economic feasibility assessment of cholesterol drugs. A Korean coalition of civic health groups said HIRA changed its pricing standards to hand Pfizer a favor worth as much as $20.7 million. A Pfizer spokeswoman said the Lipitor price cap already had been "slashed" by 20 percent in September when generics became available. (Click here for more