Pharma requires innovation
Artificial intelligence, the proposed European drug legislation and the tackling of antimicrobial resistance were among the topics discussed by the heads of leading member companies of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), whose meeting was for the first time held last week in Athens.
As IFPMA Chairman and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who also met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, noted in an interview with Kathimerini, the ultimate goal of the industry is to ensure citizens’ direct access to pharmaceutical care.
Last year the pharmaceutical industry, mainly companies represented by IFPMA, invested more than $250 billion in research and development. However, the lion’s share of these investments belongs to the US, where, according to Bourla, it is estimated that about $50 billion more has been invested than in Europe, while about 20 years ago the investment gap between the two continents did not exceed 2 billion euros.
As Bourla emphasized, Europe should not lose the race of attracting investments in biopharmaceuticals, where innovation is the be-all and end-all. “Our ultimate goal is to make discoveries that change the lives of patients,” he stated.
