In a bid to thwart stricter regulation, the European pharmaceutical industry trade group pledged to make faster product launches in all European Union countries, a reflection of growing concern that the European Commission will overhaul the approach to access to medicines.
The commitment was one of several proposals made by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations in the face of a new, overarching strategy that the European Commission is devising toward pharmaceuticals. Besides access and affordability, the effort has also been looking at innovation, competitiveness, changes in technology, and preparing for crises.
The drive toward a new strategy emerged in late 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic erupted, which prompted European Commission officials to want to create a “future-proof regulatory framework” that simultaneously strengthens health systems and supports the pharmaceutical industry in its quest to develop innovative new medicines.
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