WWFH Statement on USTR’s Section 301 Investigation on Germany's Pharmaceutical Pricing

We Work For Health Executive Director Dan Leonard issued the following statement in response to the United States Trade Representative’s Section 301 investigation into Germany's pharmaceutical pricing policies.

“The USTR’s Section 301 investigation underscores the growing impact of Germany’s harmful pharmaceutical pricing policies on American patients, workers, and innovators. By keeping prices artificially below market value, Germany and other countries shift the bulk of the responsibility and burden of funding medical innovation onto the United States – forcing American patients and employers to shoulder a disproportionate share of the costs that drive global breakthroughs and benefit global patient populations. That is neither fair nor sustainable.”

“This imbalance has directly threatened U.S. leadership in biopharmaceutical innovation – the very leadership that has delivered the majority of the world’s lifesaving treatments. When other countries fail to pay their fair share, it distorts markets, undercuts investment in research and development, and slows the pace of new discoveries. We’ve already seen the consequences abroad: across Europe, heavy-handed price controls have led to fewer breakthroughs, diminished global competitiveness, and delayed patient access to cutting-edge therapies. The U.S. must not follow that path.”

“America has long led the world in developing groundbreaking cures, supporting high-quality jobs, and advancing medical progress. Preserving that leadership requires a global system rooted in fairness and shared responsibility. This investigation is a critical step toward restoring that balance – but it cannot be the last. Ensuring that other countries, like Germany, pay their fair share is essential to protecting American patients, sustaining innovation, and preserving U.S. leadership in delivering the next generation of lifesaving cures.”