EU Works On Strategic Agenda For The Pharma Sector

By Catherine Saez

The European Commission has issued a working document in which they identify policy areas to support the long-term sustainability of the pharmaceutical sector.

The document [pdf], titled “Pharmaceutical Industry: A Strategic Sector for the European Economy, ” underlines the importance of intellectual property rights for the sector. It also “focuses on the developments of the last years as a first step in preparing a strategic agenda.”

Several policy areas are identified by the document “where actions have been already undertaken and which are worth exploring in more details in the future.”

These include: setting priorities with regards to the development of new therapies; ensuring long-term sustainability of the pharma sector, in particular through the fostering of “public-private co-operation”; improving access to medicines worldwide, and reinforcing the presence of the European pharma industry in the global market, according to a Commission release.

An event is expected to take place in the fall gathering a number of different stakeholders, “in order to prepare future policy decisions.”

In a release, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations hailed the document.