The pharmaceutical industry in Europe

Here, Open Access Government focus on some of the key issues facing the pharmaceutical industry throughout Europe

By way of an introduction, The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) represents the pharmaceutical industry throughout Europe. EFPIA’s aim is to foster a collaborative environment that enables members to innovate, discover, develop and deliver new vaccines and therapies and for the inhabitants of Europe and to contribute to Europe’s economy. (1)

On therapy, we learn that EFPIA calls for the inclusion of patient preferences and the patient experience in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) evaluation, pricing and reimbursement decisions. Hot on the heels of the IQVIA Report Assessing Person-Centered Therapeutic Innovations in November 2019, EFPIA commented that person-centred therapeutic innovations can have a tangible and significant impact on the patients’ quality of life. They can also improve adherence and as a consequence, outcomes, yet many HTA bodies and payers do not believe that person-centred therapeutic innovations are meaningfully when it comes to evaluating new treatments.

Jean-Christophe Tellier, EFPIA President said. “We believe that the inclusion of the improvement of patient experience and patient preferences in HTA evaluation and pricing and reimbursement decisions is necessary. Person-centred therapeutic innovations can have a significant and tangible impact on patients’ quality of life, improve adherence and as a consequence improve outcomes.”(2)

HIV

It is also worth noting here that both medicines and vaccines are some of the most powerful tools in helping Europeans to live “longer, healthier and more productive lives” according to EFPIA. Certainly, death rates from HIV have fallen by over 80% since the 1980s, according to the EFPIA who add that “recent pharmaceutical innovation means 90% of people living with Hepatitis C can be cured through a 12-week course of medicines.”(3)

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)

In other recent news, we find out about the “COMBINE” project, launched in early December 2019 to speed up the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Graham Somers, IMI Portfolio Director at GSK explains in his own words why this approach is beneficial. “Impactful Public-Private Partnerships like the AMR Accelerator are critical for developing this pipeline – they allow the few remaining companies in the field to make the most of their limited resources and strengthen the ties between SMEs and big pharma.”(4)

Access to medicines after Brexit

It is staggering to think that there are now 7,000 medicines in development and that a thrilling new wave of medical innovation will play a vital part in answering the challenges faced by patients and healthcare systems face. (5) Looking ahead, it is also worth noting that EFPIA wants to ensure that when the UK leaves the European Union, “there is no reduction in patient access to safe and effective medicines.”(6) All the topics discussed here fit in well with the EFPIA’s wider vision for a healthier future for Europe based on “prevention, innovation, access to new treatments” and better patient outcomes. (1)

References
1 https://www.efpia.eu/about-us/who-we-are/
2 https://www.efpia.eu/news-events/the-efpia-view/statements-press-releases/a-wake-up-call-for-hta-bodies-and-payers-on-assessing-and-valuing-person-centered-therapeutic-innovations/
3 https://www.efpia.eu/about-medicines/use-of-medicines/value-of-medicines/
4 https://www.efpia.eu/news-events/the-efpia-view/statements-press-releases/new-imi-project-combine-launched-to-accelerate-the-fight-against-antimicrobial-resistance/
5 https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/treatment/cannabis-based-treatments
6 https://www.efpia.eu/news-events/the-efpia-view/blog-articles/brexit/