Lilly to Launch Drugs Globally Despite Pricing Pressure (1)

Eli Lilly & Co. said it will press ahead with global drug launches despite uncertainty over the Trump administration’s Most-Favored-Nation pricing proposal, which sparked industry concerns that the policy could deter rollouts in lower-priced markets such as Japan.

“Our goal is to continue to bring innovation to all the patients around the globe,” Chief Financial Officer Lucas Montarce said in an interview in Tokyo. While he noted that pressure from reference-pricing systems and MFN-style policies is “not new” for the pharmaceutical industry, it’s still “early days” and Lilly is evaluating the policy’s implications and details.

The MFN proposal — which ...