UK will only be able to afford generic drugs if NHS fails to pay more, says AstraZeneca boss
Pascal Soriot says cost-effectiveness thresholds for new medicines have not changed for two decades
The boss of AstraZeneca has said that unless the UK ramps up spending on new drugs, it could be on a trajectory to only being able to afford cheap, generic medicines rather than cutting-edge treatments.
Pascal Soriot made the remarks amid an acrimonious standoff between the pharmaceutical industry and the government over drug pricing, which has been blamed for drugmakers pausing or ditching nearly £2bn of investments in the UK this year.