AstraZeneca PLCAstraZeneca's chairman warns Europe's pharma R&D is losing ground and up to 40% of approved therapies never reach European patients, citing regulatory/incentive failures.
AstraZeneca and GSK have joined European rivals Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Roche and Novartis in an open letter warning that Europe's pharmaceutical industry is "losing ground to global competition" and faces a "slow agony" of decline without urgent action. The executives, including AstraZeneca chairman Michel Demaré and GSK chairman Sir Jonathan Symonds, said Europe's share of global pharmaceutical research and development has fallen from 43pc in 1990 to 31pc today, while China has overtaken Europe in clinical trials, pharmaceutical patents and new medicine development. The letter warned that up to 40pc of newly approved therapies never reach European patients, and that patients wait nearly 600 days for drugs that do arrive, putting Europe's €220bn trade surplus in drugs at risk. Closing the gap in clinical trials would unlock up to €53bn alone and create 82,000 jobs, the letter added. The intervention comes amid a broader dispute over European incentives for life-sciences investment, after US President Donald Trump accused Europe of "freeloading" on the American drug industry and threatened tariffs, prompting cuts to NHS rebate rates that added billions of pounds in costs to the taxpayer; AstraZeneca has separately announced plans to invest $50bn in the US and completed a direct listing there earlier this year.
AstraZeneca PLCAstraZeneca's chairman warns Europe's pharma R&D is losing ground and up to 40% of approved therapies never reach European patients, citing regulatory/incentive failures.
GSK plcGSK's chairman joins the letter warning Europe's drug industry faces decline from weak incentives and slow patient access to new medicines.
Novo Nordisk A/S
Novartis AG
Roche Holding AG
Sanofi SA