Swiss pharma group warns access to new medicine is worsening

Pharma companies have said they will not launch drugs in Switzerland if the prices are too low. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Interpharma, the association of research-based pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland, believes that access to innovative medicines is worsening since the US introduced policies to lower drug prices in line with peer countries.

A survey of member companies has shown that pharmaceutical manufacturers no longer consider themselves able, under the current framework, to launch new therapies in Switzerland in a timely manner without jeopardising prices in the US, Interpharma announced on Thursday.

Between January 2025 and June 2026, Interpharma’s members had not submitted seven out of a total of 22 new innovative medicines for inclusion on the Specialities List, which is the list of medicines reimbursed by insurance. In the case of three others, they had even decided not to submit them to the Swiss medicines agency Swissmedic for authorisation.

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According to Interpharma, this underscores the US administration’s policy, which is exacerbating the already negative trend regarding access to innovative medicines in Switzerland. The association believes that the planned revision of the Health Insurance Ordinance, with its “one-sided focus on costs”, is likely to further reinforce this trend.

The draft Health Insurance Ordinance must be comprehensively revised, argues Interpharma. Switzerland needs a pricing system compatible with the US “most-favoured-nation” regime, one that takes equal account of the aspects of supply, quality and cost of innovations, writes Interpharma.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.