International pharma producers have reportedly refused the government’s proposal to only increase prices medications for non-chronic diseases, Al Mal reported. International producers have reportedly submitted the government a list of all their products, expecting their prices to increase by 20% across the board, regardless of whether or not they are for chronic diseases. There were reports last week of a dispute over how to define chronic diseases, after the Health Ministry said it will not allow any price increases for medications treating them. If the government insists on freezing the prices of chronic disease treatments, international pharma producers will halt all negotiations with the government and possibly freeze production in Egypt, a source said. The government’s classification makes “no sense,” as “90%” of all medications on the market are for chronic diseases, the source added.

What’s the government offering? The last agreement reached between the government reportedly allowed for increasing the prices of 15% of domestically-produced medications in tiers ranging from 50% for those selling for EGP1-50, to 40% for those selling for EGP 50-100, and by 30% for those that are more expensive than EGP 100. It also allowed for increasing prices of 20% of imported medications raising those selling for under EGP 50 by 50% and by 40% for more expensive ones.

The Health Ministry could budge? Sources tell Al Borsa that the health ministry might be allowing price increases for some of the medications used to treat chronic diseases after all. The committee concerned with studying the price hike will be making the decision after conducting separate reviews of each of the lists submitted by companies to the ministry last week. The story gives no sense of timeline.