When it comes to healthcare, if the US and Europe worked together they could cut costs, spur innovation, and tackle their common health problems, according to a group of experts that met in Washington DC.
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What are the barriers to US-EU collaboration? There are, of course, fundamental policy and market differences that can’t be bridged: The US won’t nationalise healthcare, and Europe won’t privatise it. But the proposals aired during a meeting organized by Science|Business on Capitol Hill were more practical – sharing information, coordinating drug approvals, commissioning joint research, and the like. Even for those, however, there are still some fundamental gaps that need bridging. The meeting, supported by the Sandoz International division of Novartis, was held to air some specific proposals for cooperation. Four emerged: caring for the ageing population, stimulating innovation, regulating new biological medicines, and studying the economics of e-health.