MSD, the German subsidiary of the US pharmaceutical conglomerate Merck, has filed a constitutional complaint in Karlsruhe against central regulations of the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetzes. This was stated by the Chairman of MSD Deutschland, Kevin Peters, to the Handelsblatt (Friday edition).
The reform, approved in July, is claimed to jeopardize innovation and market access for new therapies in Germany. Peters stated that parts of the law are disproportionate, unmanageable, and massively harmful. The pharma manager noted that in his 35 years of career, he has never seen anything comparable, stating that “the bridge is crumbling and is in danger of breaking.”
According to calculations by the Federation of Pharmaceutical Industry Associations (Vfa), projected savings for the pharmaceutical industry by 2028 amount to 4.8 billion euros. Peters indicated that one-fifth of this amount falls on MSD, equating to nearly one billion euros. He emphasized that they would not file the constitutional complaint unless they were convinced of the necessity.
Peters clarified that MSD does not intend to withdraw from Germany. He stated that the simpler alternative would be a complete withdrawal, a decision they reject. The corporation hopes that the complaint will result in greater clarity and a degree of conciliation from the Bundesregierung in the coming months.
