Valletta Group Joint Procurement Strategy for Medicines

This report outlines the efforts of the Valletta Group, Europe's largest multi-country coalition focused on improving sustainable access to medicines. The group targets cancer drugs, treatments for autoimmune diseases, orphan medicines, and biosimilars in its joint procurement initiatives. Utilizing lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Valletta Group aims to develop a plan for joint negotiations and procurement of medicines among its members, which include Portugal, Spain, Italy, and several other EU countries. The report details a recent meeting where members agreed to enhance cooperation and knowledge sharing, and to assess processes for joint negotiations to streamline medicine acquisitions. Additionally, the report discusses the importance of information sharing and the potential impact of pricing agreements on pharmaceutical companies. The Valletta Group's approach is informed by experiences from other initiatives, such as BeNeLuxA, which has a more established track record in joint negotiations and health technology appraisals.