Europe's generic drugmakers say only a sustainable sector can maximize health system benefits

'Increasing generic medicines market penetration is the fastest way towards considerable and sustainable savings for health care systems in Europe'. This is the key message delivered by European Generics medicine Association (EGA) president Didier Barret to delegates at the group's annual general meeting in Rome, Italy, last week.

A sustainable generic medicines industry must be based on three pillars: fair access to market, fair pricing and fair competition. In turn, this will lead to the sustainability of health care systems, by increasing patient accessibility, through the affordability and availability of medicines, whilst promoting quality, fostering innovation and helping European Union member states to balance health care budgets.

As the backbone of one of the most competitive sectors in Europe, generic medicines bring savings of some 30 billion ($36 billion) per annum to the EU, says the EGA, and make up over 50% of dispensed medicines, whilst accounting for only 18% of expenditure on pharmaceuticals. With health expenditure growing much faster than the EU27 average Gross Domestic Product, the emphasis on generic medicines sustainability is therefore set to increase. Moreover, the generic medicines industry is truly innovative, creating new oral, inhalation and patch release forms, as well as the all-important range of biosimilar medicinal products. The industry is also a significant contributor to employment sustainability and growth, with some 700 generic medicines companies in Europe providing jobs for 150,000 people, the Association contends.