The abuse of excessive pricing and the case of the pharmaceutical sector

The present work is born with the aim of providing guidance when dealing with a complex subject that is both recent and relevant for society in general. Excessive pricing has proved to be an issue of increasing relevance and con-cern, as demonstrated by the number of recent cases across the world, espe-cially in the pharmaceutical sector. The matter is still highly debated both in the literature and in courts. Besides, competition authorities have encountered considerable difficulties in enfor-cing the provision against excessive pricing.The main issues revolving around excessive pricing and, specifically, excessive pricing in the pharmaceutical sector, can be synthesized as follows: How to define excessive pricing; What are the possible models for a provision against excessive pricing; How to assess price levels; Whether to enforce the provision against excessive pricing; When to do so; How the various jurisdictions have approached excessive pricing in practice; How this framework applies to the pharmaceutical sector, considering its peculiarities, also in the light of recent decisions; Which remedies are available to address excessive pricing.