EU medicines security act needed for health security, says trade group

Medicines for Europe, the trade organization representing generics and biosimilars drugmakers, today highlighted the need for a security act for the European Union to provide health security.

The group said that the off-patent medicines industry provides 70% of medicines dispensed to patients in Europe covering over 80% of therapy areas. Generic, biosimilar and value-added medicines make treatment options affordable, accessible, and available, so that patients can best manage their disease. These medicines also played a pivotal role during the covid outbreak, where between 70% and 90% of ICU medicines were off patent.

As highlighted in the “ Resilient EU2030” report, recently published by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the objective of the European Council meeting on October 6 is to strengthen supply chains, manufacturing capacity and ultimately, open strategic autonomy in the field of off patent medicines and API.