The business of research: Enabling policies for the medicines of tomorrow

New and innovative medicines are being developed every day across Europe. Yet, many patients still don’t have access to the treatments they need to be healthy and have a decent quality of life. Many diseases - especially neurological diseases - still lack any effective treatments or cure as they prove particularly challenging for scientists. As the population across Europe ages and economic pressures on healthcare budgets increase, concerns are being raised about the sustainability of our healthcare systems and whether science and government public policies are prepared to meet the growing needs of patients. 

The question being asked by many is: how can we build a sustainable healthcare system that encourages innovative medicines to be developed in disease areas with high unmet patient needs? 

This paper provides a snapshot of different perspectives on reconciling the need for continued medical research and development to fulfil unmet patient needs; the need for greater patient access to innovative medicines; and the need for sustainable funding of healthcare systems in Europe. These insights have been collected during two high-level policy events organised on 3 March 2015 in Brussels.The two events entitled “Criteria for success: The future of collaborative brain research”, and “The business of research: Enabling policies for the medicines of tomorrow”, were hosted by the European Brain Council (EBC) and two Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Philippe De Backer MEP and Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP respectively. More than 70 healthcare stakeholders contributed during the events, including high-level officials from the EU institutions, researchers, patient groups, members of civil society, and business representatives. 

Both events offered insightful contributions to the debate on the future of medical research. The importance of the innovative healthcare sector to Europe was summarised by Gwenole Cozigou – Director for Resources Based, Manufacturing and Consumer Goods Industries, DG GROW, European Commission. Director Cozigou stressed the need for a European industrial policy, which takes into consideration the strategic importance of the pharmaceuticals sector. 

All speakers agreed to encourage progress and innovation in medical research. Throughout discussions, it became clear that greater coordination in healthcare policies should be promoted at the European level, with a special focus on meeting patient needs for neurological diseases.Safeguarding investment in research and innovation

David Taylor, Professor Emeritus of Pharmaceutical and Public Health Policy, University College London, noted that health care systems committed to universal health care provision cannot offer open ended spending on innovative medicines. However, given the safeguards on pricing and spending already in place, decision makers should also be mindful of the dangers of abusing purchasing powers and paying too little for improvements in health outcomes.

Nathalie Moll – Secretary General, EuropaBio – stressed that the developing policy environment should place greater emphasis on making Europe an attractive place for investment in innovative bioscience activities to fairly reward valuable innovative products entering the market and ensure their continued development and production in Europe.Audrey Craven – President of the European Federation of Neurological Associations – stated that one of the key challenges for the EU is to find a balance between incentivising pharmaceutical innovation and making treatments affordable and accessible to all patients.

Johanna Friedl-Naderer – Senior Vice President Europe, Biogen – stressed that Governments, academia and industry all share a common goal which is to drive the development of treatments that improve patients’ lives. For this reason, cooperation among these parties is needed to develop the right policies to incentivise medical research but also ensure a sustainable healthcare system.Meeting patient needs and ensuring access

Jean Georges – Executive Director, Alzheimer Europe – highlighted some changes that could accelerate the drug discovery process, such as enhanced patient and public engagement, better access to clinical trials, consent procedures simplification, and improved collaboration with competent stakeholders.

Frédéric Destrebecq – Executive Director, European Brain Council – underlined the complexity of the brain and the resulting need for additional research at all levels to maximise its impact on and benefit for society.Philippe de Backer, MEP, reiterated his commitment to address patient access to treatment, one of the biggest healthcare challenges in Europe. This is particularly true in the context of rare disease and orphan drugs, and for this reason he argued that the system incentivising the development of treatments in these disease areas should be reformed.Coordinating healthcare policies and actions in Europe

Alexander Natz – Secretary General, EUCOPE – questioned the practice by certain European Member States to expand the off-label use of medicines for economic reasons when an alternative medicine was available. He argued that this practice is against the EU regulatory system. These governments show how healthcare is often considered a cost and not a resource that improves people’s lives. European governments need to change this perspective and focus on collaborating to promote research and better treatments for patients.

Sirpa Pietikainen, MEP, reminded us that although healthcare is a national competence (and not EU), the European Union can still contribute to patients’ lives by ensuring access to healthcare products and services at national level as it did trough the Directive 2011/24/EU on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare

Contact for further information:

Erwan Gicquel
Director Public Policy & Government Affairs, Europe
Biogen
[email protected]