Cancer therapy from Vienna before approval in the USA

Is pharmaceutical production here in Vienna at capacity?

Yes, because we have global production here and are therefore not only dependent on demand in Austria or Europe. We deliver our stroke preparation, which we produce in Vienna, all over the world. In total there are over 120 countries.

A new cancer research building was recently opened at the site. When can we expect new cancer therapies from Vienna?

I can say that in less than 100 days we will bring an oncology product from our research here in Vienna to market in the US. The preparation is used to treat non-small cell lung cancer. After approval in the US, it will be launched in Japan in 2025 and then in other countries around the world.

And in Europe?

That will take until 2028 because the rules here are more restrictive than in the USA.

Are there more cancer drugs in the pipeline?

We currently have 18 research projects running in Vienna with twelve different substances. There has recently been criticism of the European regulatory authority EMA because of the delayed approval of an Alzheimer’s drug.

Are the hurdles in Europe too high?

We get approvals faster almost all over the world than in Europe. Not only in the USA, Japan and China are also faster. The acceptance of new innovations is much higher in the USA, which is why the focus of the pharmaceutical industry is here too. We also research and produce in Europe, but it takes longer to get the products to patients. And Austria is actually a cheap country. The prices for medicines in private practice are lower here than in many European countries.

The health insurance companies are making billions in losses and have to save money. Is there still scope for drug prices?

Our prices are always going down anyway, we can’t increase them at all, even though our costs have also increased. The share of medicines in healthcare costs has been falling for years and is just over 12 percent. I ask: How much more can you take away from the 12 percent? Other costs such as labor and energy costs have now risen sharply.

The additional evaluation board for the approval of new therapies in hospitals is seen as a brake on innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. Your opinion?

We’ll have to wait and see how that goes. Austria has always had rapid access to new therapies. There is a risk that not all patients will have this rapid access.

Government negotiations are currently underway. What are your wishes for politics?

It is important for us to promote an ecosystem around research & development, production and the market. What comes from Austria should also come onto the market here quickly. Solutions in the areas of energy and wage costs would also be important so that we can become more competitive globally again. We are in competition with Asia and the USA.

Has Austria lost its attractiveness as a pharmaceutical location? We definitely lost. In the last three years, wages in the chemical industry here in Austria have risen much more than in other European countries, which has certainly affected the competitiveness of our plant.

Two years ago you planned to build a new pharmaceutical production facility in Bruck an der Leitha and then canceled it. Is the project finally off the table?

We currently do not need a new biopharmaceutical plant and can serve the market with existing capacities. But we bought the property and could use it at any time if there was a need.