Novartis pulls Rasilamlo in Germany, citing pricing system

Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS; SIX:NOVN) discontinued marketing of Rasilamlo aliskiren/amlodipine in Germany after administrators for the country's new pricing system requested data that are not yet available for the hypertension drug. The AMNOG law, passed last year, sets the price of a new drug based on a government assessment of cost-effectiveness (see BioCentury Extra, Nov. 15, 2010).

Novartis noted that the decision does not affect the availability of Rasilamlo in other countries. The single-pill combination of Novartis' Tekturna aliskiren, a renin inhibitor, and amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker, is approved in the EU and in the U.S., where it is known as Teklamlo. The pharma plans to launch the product in the Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium and Finland this year, and in France, Spain, Portugal and Austria in 2012. ...