The U.S. Trade Representative has launched a Section 301 investigation into Germany’s drug pricing policies, arguing the U.S. carries an outsized share of global biopharma R&D costs. The probe was opened by USTR ambassador Jamieson Greer after concerns that Germany is fast-tracking legislation that could further reduce spending on innovative pharmaceuticals. In its justification, the USTR pointed to Germany’s April proposal to save more than €16 billion in healthcare spending, amid projected insurer deficits. U.S. officials said the administration expects public input, with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 22, and warned that resulting measures could include confidential supplemental discounts or mandatory variable rate rebates if the U.S. impact is deemed unreasonable. The investigation follows months of U.S.–Germany back-and-forth and comes after drugmakers including Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim scaled back plans for German production tied to the pricing reforms.