European NGOs approach the pharmaceutical pressure on the reform of medicines in the EU
Three big NGOs indicated this week Your concern that great pharmaceutical products try to influence In reforms of the EU pharmaceutical framework persuade the European Commission to insert new incentives for supporting innovation in the middle of growing world commercial tensions.
The European Cancer League Association (ECL), the European Consumers Organization (Beuc) and the International Mutual Association (AIM) also warned in a joint declaration addressed to the community manager who The increase in the costs of innovative medicines It continues to put them out of the reach of many patients, which worsens health inequalities throughout Europe.
Organizations also asked the governments of give priority to patients and consumers ensuring economic access to safe and effective medicines. Since the commission presented The proposal of pharmaceutical reform in May 2023The debates advanced in the European Parliament, but have just progressed in the EU Council.
The EU executive said it is stopped Optimistic about the possibility of obtaining a positive result Through negotiations in progress with legislators. The representatives of the EU Member States will be met again next week to continue the negotiations on the package.
According to the report of the meeting obtained by “Euronews”, the EU diplomats approached last Monday Safety of the offerParallel trade and innovation, but did not deepen the thorny issue of regulatory protection. After a meeting with the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the CEO of the pharmaceutical industry reiterated their request to strengthen the protection of intellectual property.
Significant savings for European health systems
The periods of protection of regulatory data prevent competitors from using the data presented by companies a show that the new drugs are safe and effectivewhich helps them produce cheaper generic or biosimilant equivalent.
For their part, the groups of civil society support A reduction in the basic data protection period The regulation – currently set in eight years – to allow a previous entry of generic and biosimilar on the market. Argue that this change could save European health systems About 1,130 million euros per year.
“Cancer treatment is impossible without access to drugs and economic assistance. The central objective of EU pharmaceutical reform should continue to be clear: to ensure that all patients with cancer can access the drugs that save human lives when they need it more, “Mikalauskait, head of ECL policies, said more Toma.
However, pharmaceutical companies They press to achieve more favorable conditions. Your requests are not only due to concern for A possible pharmaceutical commercial war with the United StatesBut also for changes in American national politics.
Will there be an increase in prices in Europe?
Pharmaceutical companies fear more and more that if the prices of medicines in the EU are still low, this can influence drug prices policies In the United States, in particular among the discussions that started under the Trump administration to compare the prices of US drugs with those of other developed nations.
Companies are worried The lowest European prices can exert downward pressure on US prices, which would lead them to press so that Prices have increased in Europe.
Large companies such as French Sanophs and Switzerland have also pressed a joint letter, claiming that Rigorous price checks in Europe They are making the EU market is less attractive than the United States, where significantly higher prices of drugs are allowed.
