Brexit could send shockwaves through EU pharma industry

For almost four decades Europe's major pharmaceutical companies have worked in a competitive but integrated environment but there are now fears that Britain's role within that framework could come to an end if it leaves the European Union.

Thirty-eight years ago an organization was set up to act as a trade association representing the research-based pharmaceutical industry in Europe.

Since those early days, when the UK was still a newcomer in what was then known as the Common Market, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has grown into vital component in the complex structure of the sector.