I read (thanks to Google alerts) that Aspen to appeal Italian Competition Authority fine for alleged excessive price hikes. When is it acceptable to stick up the price of a therapy? Aspen are arguing, as per the news article, that they were charging 2 Euros (30.41 Rand) per pill. A pill a day for a month is then 912 Rand, 60 Euros of course. These are blood cancer drugs and were approved for sale back in 2013.
What I find quite interesting, as per the article, is that these drugs (it must be the category) had not been subject to any price increases for 50 years. Were there blood cancer therapies around 50 years ago? And if so, how has the technology and effectiveness changed? I would think a lot. Let me be clear, I think that gouging is a horrible, no good thing for humanity, fair prices for both parties must be reached. The fine is neither huge nor small, and it is a reminder that working in multiple jurisdictions comes with their own set of legal issues. And by extension, costs. An 80 million Rand fine is a gentle reminder. If they appeal, and win, I guess they would have set some benchmark then. We shall see.