On 8 April, the CEOs of the pharmaceutical industry issued a warning to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen: unless Europe rapidly introduces radical policy changes, there is an increasing risk that pharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing will be redirected to the United States, according to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA).
A survey of EFPIA members revealed that up to 85% of capital expenditure investments (around €50.6 billion) and up to 50% of R&D expenditure (around €52.6 billion) could be at risk. These amounts form part of a combined total of €164.8 billion of investment planned for the 2025-2029 period in the EU27. Over the next three months, the companies that responded estimate that a total of €16.5 billion - or 10% of the total investment plans - is already at risk.
In addition to the uncertainty created by the threat of tariffs, the incentives to invest in the EU are weak, while there are numerous incentives to relocate to the US.
To help Europe develop a research-based pharmaceutical industry, EFPIA is calling on the Commission to create a competitive European market that rewards innovation, to strengthen European intellectual property provisions and to ensure coherence between environmental and chemical legislation in order to guarantee “a resilient manufacturing and supply chain of medicines in Europe”. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)