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News
Nine major European drugmakers — including AstraZeneca, GSK, and Novartis — are urging EU governments to boost pharmaceutical investment, speed up clinical trials, and strengthen IP protections. They warn that without urgent action, Europe risks a "slow agony" of decline, with 40% of new therapies already failing to reach European patients. The bloc's share of global drug R&D has dropped sharply over the past three decades.
The chairs of nine major European drugmakers — including AstraZeneca, GSK, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi — have co-signed an open letter urging EU governments to act fast. Their message: Europe's pharmaceutical industry is losing ground to the US and China, and without bold policy changes, the continent faces a "slow agony" of decline.
The letter calls for greater fiscal flexibility on healthcare spending, faster clinical trial processes, and stronger intellectual property protections. The drugmakers argue that the entire pathway — from R&D to reimbursement and patient access — needs an overhaul to attract capital back to Europe.
Why it matters: This isn't just a boardroom concern — it has real consequences for patients. If Europe continues to lag in pharmaceutical investment and innovation, its citizens may face delayed or limited access to next-generation medicines, while the US and China pull further ahead in the global health race.
