Strengthening its competitiveness, Europe needs a new strategy for the health sector

From the reader. What if Europe was the continent that prevents the next pandemic, develops treatments that slow down Alzheimer’s disease, or changes the lives of patients with chronic diseases?

This is the industry’s vision for the future of the European health sector. The EU’s new health sector strategy can help make the vision a reality.

The European health sector is in fierce competition with the USA and China. Over the past couple of decades, a quarter of Europe’s global R&D investment share has moved to other markets.

The new European legislative term is an opportunity for a new beginning. Lettan and Draghin the reports are important steps in the wider improvement of Europe’s competitiveness, but the diverse legislation and numerous initiatives targeting our sector especially emphasize that we need a coordinated approach that takes into account the specific needs of the sector.

Towards a competitive cluster

The EU leaders’ demand for a more competitive Europe must be reconciled with the reform of the EU pharmaceutical legislation so that the reform promotes – not weakens – competitiveness in the sector, which is one of the most central in Europe.

The erosion of intellectual property rights, the lack of investment in health innovation, the inability to respond to the skills gap problem or improve the availability of funding means that due to the net effect of political actions, it is increasingly difficult in Europe to invent, develop and manufacture new medicines.

The focus of the EU’s new health sector strategy in the political program of the President of the Commission must be to avoid incompatible and contradictory political initiatives and to create an environment that will lead us towards a healthier and more sustainable Europe.

Europe must be able to turn ideas into innovations and promote competitive European health and pharmaceutical clusters.

The strategy must create EU framework programs to promote partnerships and health security, while at the same time strengthening competitive intellectual property rights and regulatory initiatives.

To become a global leader in the health sector

We need to address the skills gap by improving STEM education and attracting the world’s best talent here.

We need to develop harmonized, agile clinical research ecosystems that support multi-country clinical trials and promote efficient access and use of health information.

Europe can be a global leader in the health sector. It requires that the European Medicines Agency be given sufficient resources to create an ambitious and future-proof regulatory environment, as a leading voice in international regulatory harmonisation.

As the population ages, the burden of chronic diseases increases, the working-age population shrinks and climate change affects us, Europe must invest in health.

Strategic funding, infrastructure renewal, preventive measures, digitization, national framework conditions and the green transition are ways in which the EU can support member countries to produce better health for their citizens.

Nathalie Moll

CEO, EFPIA, umbrella organization of European pharmaceutical industry associations