According to a report by the British newspaper The Guardian on September 22, nine European pharmaceutical companies, including AstraZeneca in the UK, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novo Nordisk in Denmark, jointly issued a letter stating that Europe is falling behind its competitors, including the United States and China, in the development of new drugs and attracting investment. They called on European leaders to take action to "ensure the future of European companies."
In this letter titled “Europe is Losing the Pharmaceutical Investment Race—But There Is Still a Chance to Turn the Situation Around,” European pharmaceutical giants call on governments to regard medicines as strategic infrastructure, to ensure healthcare autonomy, and to take immediate action to restore Europe’s competitiveness.
The text states that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the major achievements in Europe after World War II. It provides millions of high-skill employment opportunities, and has generated a trade surplus for the EU exceeding 220 billion euros. "However, this hard-won achievement faces risks."
"We see Europe falling further and further in the global competition. In just the past two years, investments in the pharmaceutical industry announced by the United States and China have exceeded $600 billion," the letter states, "European governments must create conditions to attract investment in the next generation of pharmaceuticals, otherwise it will be too late."
According to the Federation of European Pharmaceutical Industries, Europe's share in global pharmaceutical research and development has decreased from 43% in 1990 to 31%.
Europe's share in global commercial clinical trials has also significantly decreased. Over the past decade, Europe's share has fallen from 18% to 9%. Only 4% of clinical trials focus on cell and gene therapies.
At the same time, China has surpassed Europe in clinical trials, medical patents, and the development of new drugs. During the same period, China's share of global clinical trials increased from less than 10% to nearly 30%.
These 9 pharmaceutical companies stated in their letter that simply narrowing the gap in clinical trials in Europe could create an economic value of 53 billion euros for Europe and create 82,000 jobs.
The letter states: “We call on leaders of various countries to work together with us to reverse the decline in European competitiveness, to usher in a new era of medical discoveries, and to ensure the autonomy of healthcare systems. We understand that many countries face financial pressures. But just as defense or energy should be considered essential infrastructure, modern medicines should also be regarded as such, and not rely on other countries for provision.”
Signers of this letter include: Michel De Marle, chairman of AstraZeneca, the largest pharmaceutical company in the UK; Jonathan Simmons, chairman of GlaxoSmithKline, the second-largest pharmaceutical company in the UK; Lars Reben Sorensen, chairman of Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical giant; Séverine Schwann, chairman of Roche Group, Switzerland; Giovanni Capuffrio, chairman of Novartis, Switzerland; and Frédéric Udria, chairman of Sanofi, France.
