Pfizer to consider stockpiling medicines in preperation for no-deal Brexit
pharmafile | August 6, 2018 | News story | Sales and Marketing | EU, MSD, Pfizer, Sanofi, brexit, stockpiling
Pfizer is considering joining AstraZeneca, Sanofi and MSD in stockpiling medicines in preparation for a hard Brexit, it has emerged.
The revelation comes as International Trade Secretary Liam Fox suggested that a hard Brexit would be the most likely outcome of current Brexit negotiations.
The Conservative Party politician said that he believed there was a “60-40” chance of a no-deal Brexit as he blamed EU negotiator Michel Barnier’s stubbornness for pushing the UK towards a hard exit. The North Somerset MP claimed that the French negotiator’s response has made “the chance of no deal greater.”
Fox said that he thought “the intransigence of the commission is pushing us towards no deal” as he implied that the prospect of a deal is “now up to the EU”.
The US drug maker Pfizer said in a statement: “In order to minimize any potential patient impact we have undertaken work to ensure we can continue to supply in the EU and the UK covering all Brexit scenarios. We have carried out detailed assessments of the supply of all our medicines with the focus on ensuring we will continue to have them available for our patients.”
Pharma giant Johnson & Johnson have also said that they are preparing for a no-deal Brexit as they stated “We are exploring all options to ensure that patients continue to have access to the medicines they need.”
Both of the companies have called for a UK-France ‘mutual recognition agreement’ for the regulation and supply of medicines.
Pfizer added that: “Due to the long lead times we have in our supply chains, we are asking the EU and the UK to propose a mutual recognition agreement for medicines regulation and supply, and urge the UK to support this alongside other elements to support longer-term regulatory continuity between the EU and UK.”
Louis Goss
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