Brussels, 30/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - Following his election, on 25 January in Brussels, to the head of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), the President of the French group Sanofi-Synthelabo, Jean-Francois Dehecq, insisted on the his determination to work for "a regulated liberalisation" of the European market for medicines. Underlining his desire to work with the Community institutions, both the Commission and the European Parliament (he said: "I am convinced that we have never worked enough with the Parliament"), but also the Member States, he returned to the main concerns of the industry: - support for innovation; - the proper functioning of the internal market.
Recalling that medical research is one of the most high risk sectors in the world of industry, Mr Dehecq calls for a high level of protection for intellectual property, and hopes that the European Union creates a environment that is truly favourable towards innovation and that it contributes towards reducing the legislative void born from the coexistence of European legislation with that of the EU 15's national regulations. He also explained that all the measures must be taken to avoid that enlargement becomes a "nightmare" for the pharmaceutical industry as the medicines launched in 2005 and the years following will not benefit from any legal protection in the new Member States of Central and Eastern Europe, which have only recognised patents as of 1995. Mr Dehecq of course also broached the now recurrent themes of parallel imports. While recognising that "we must not dream of a European price for medicines", he hopes that the prices differences between the Member Sates be brought to a level to removes all profitability from reconditioning. "The Community systems for the authorisation for marketing works well", admitted the new EFPIA President, while regretting that it is then blocked by the Member States in endless talks over prices and reimbursements of which the waiting patients are the first victims. Also Mr Dehecq asserted that the European Commission should defend the right to equal access for all EU citizens to medicines and health care, and to call for better information and a true involvement of patients in therapeutic choices.