Germany’s lawmakers approved a cost-saving bill that would more than double mandatory manufacturer rebates on many branded prescription drugs from 7% to 15.5%. The package would also set a 9% discount on patented vaccines and introduce a price freeze for vaccines used for immunizations from January 2027 through December 2030. The bill, expected to progress through Germany’s upper parliament, could increase scrutiny on drug value demonstrations and intensify price competition for market access. It also tightens constraints on pharmaceutical pricing through the freeze, limiting the ability to offset inflation. In the US, the Office of the United States Trade Representative has initiated a Section 301 investigation into whether German pharmaceutical policies discriminate against American commerce—adding potential geopolitical and trade friction around the European pricing framework.