As a regulatory professional you may be on the edge of discussions concerning VPAG, you may have heard of it but don’t really understand what it is, or it’s possible that you’ve been told your bonus is reduced because of it.
What is it and why do you need to know about it? In short, it’s a scheme that aims to cap the cost of branded medicines to the NHS, where sales have exceed this cap, the company must pay a rebate. This has increased significantly over the years, with the rebate amount now at an all time high.
A lot of companies have considered de-branding but fear that it could get them ‘in trouble’, that it wont work, or that it is all too complex to navigate and don’t have the expertise to do so.
If you haven’t been involved in these discussions, I would urge you to bring this up with your Medical Director and other departments such as Finance or Commercial. All too often companies are worried about ‘rocking the boat’ or entering into to areas they don’t feel confident navigating. There isn’t much to fear, either you can remove a brand name, or you can’t – if it’s the former then it is a relatively easy regulatory activity which could end up saving your company millions!! Many leading pharma companies have already done it and we have helped some of them through it.
My recent article, jointly written with legal firm Bristows, can be downloaded below. It highlights the steps involved in a de-branding project and discusses the legal considerations and the MHRA’s position.
Since this is a UK specific issue you should expect to have to provide some background on VPAS and why your company should consider it. Feel free to share our article internally to provide further information on the topic. This could literally be your moment to shine AND ensure you get that company bonus! Reach out if you have any questions at all.
Download the VPAG article here.
