he latest drama over the cost of medicines features a bruising showdown between one of the world’s largest drug makers and a struggling Latin American country. And both sides may come out losers.
For the past several weeks, Colombian Health Minister Alejandro Gaviria has vowed to find a way to force Novartis to lower the price of its Gleevec leukemia treatment. At first, he threatened to sidestep the drug patent to ensure low-cost generic production, but last week he took steps to unilaterally lower the price the government will pay for the medicine.
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