Europe accuses drug makers of padding healthcare costs

The European Union has accused drug companies of adding billions of dollars to healthcare costs by delaying or blocking the sale of less expensive generic medicines. Patients and healthcare systems in Europe would have saved at least 3 billion euros, or $3.8 billion, from 2000 to 2007—or shaved 5% off the medical bills—if companies had let generics into the market sooner, said Neelie Kroes, the European competition commissioner.