EU Pharma leaders call for right balance between health care budget and economic growth objectives

The Executive Committee of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), representing RD based drugmakers, met in Paris, France, last week, for discussions focused on how the industry can best respond to the financial crisis in a spirit of partnership with European governments, while striking the right balance between the objectives of securing rapid patient access to innovative medicines, controlling public health expenditure and preserving a stable, predictable and attractive environment for research and manufacturing investments.

“We highly appreciate the willingness of the government to consider the research-based biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic industry and to take the right actions to ensure that France remains a home for pharmaceutical innovation. We view the next July 2013 meeting of the Conseil Strategique des Industries de Sante (CSIS) as an important milestone for setting up a predictable policy and regulatory environment for research and production,” said Richard Bergstrom, director general of the EFPIA.

He added: “This is a key moment for the biopharmaceutical industry not only in France but across Europe. In the past, the example of France, as well as French leadership at European level, resulted in a modernized pharmaceutical regulation and an attractive environment for research and innovation. French policy makers were instrumental in the adoption of major EU industrial and health policy initiatives such as the patent term restoration regulation (so-called Supplementary Protection Certificate) in the early 90’s and the adoption of the Pediatric Medicine Regulation in the early 00’s. We believe that France should inspire European policy leadership with patient-centric policies responding to the needs of industry and other stakeholders.”