Paracetamol: the government is considering a price cut, manufacturers fear a halt to "made in France" production.

The government is considering reducing the price paid to manufacturers of paracetamol by 10 cents, a measure that would generate approximately €30 million in annual savings for the social security system. This reduction would primarily affect boxes of Doliprane, Efferalgan, and Dafalgan, currently sold for €2,18 in pharmacies. Patients would not be financially penalized, but pharmaceutical companies and pharmacists are concerned about the economic consequences of this decision.

A measure that worries French manufacturers

Pharmaceutical companies are denouncing a measure that could jeopardize investments made to relocate paracetamol production to France. Executives from the affected laboratories are scheduled to meet with the Minister of Industry, Sébastien Martin, in the coming days to discuss the matter. Pharmacists also fear a reduction in their profit margins on one of the country's best-selling medications, while several elected officials from Lot-et-Garonne have alerted the Prime Minister to the risks to the 1,600 jobs at the Upsa site.

The concern is all the greater given that France has been engaged for several years in a vast project to achieve pharmaceutical sovereignty. Following the shortages observed during the health crisis, Emmanuel Macron had announced in 2020 the relocation of paracetamol production. The Opella and Upsa groups will therefore manufacture their medicines using the active ingredient produced by Seqens in Isère, with the first boxes expected to be on the market in early 2027.

A relocation project weakened

In total, nearly €140 million has been invested in this project by industry and the government, including €70 million in public funding. However, producing the active ingredient in France would cost approximately 60% more than in Asia, where the majority of pharmaceutical components used in Europe are currently manufactured.

For many in the sector, a price reduction for paracetamol appears contradictory to the government's stated goal of reindustrialization. Some economists believe that these investments will not be profitable without an increase in the drug's price. Since 2020, the price of paracetamol has been frozen as part of a moratorium that has been extended several times, with manufacturers committing in return to increase their production capacity in France.