Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - (Page 12) Brussels Report innovation if they want to be successful. The customer is becoming king, and no amount of knocking on doctors’ doors by industry sales reps is going to dethrone the new decision-makers in health ministries and insurance companies, suggests PWC. Meanwhile, in Brussels, pharmaceutical industry executives and senior officials were closeted in discussions that — despite the pretentions of the title: “A renewed European strategy for pharmaceuticals in Europe” — were looking inward far more than looking forward. Rather than seeking new approaches and new thinking, the focus was on warding off the worst and on defending the industry against attack. Much of the attention was devoted to combating counterfeiting and illegal distribution of medicines — important of course, but hardly a determining factor for the future of the industry in Europe. Another of the discussions explored strengthening of the safety monitoring of medicines. And yet another topic was information to the public on prescription medicines — similarly, a nice-to-have rather than a need-to-have factor in the evolution of the sector. Even the supposedly forward-looking EU plan published last December for “a renewed vision for the pharmaceutical sector” — which was at the top of the meeting’s agenda — contains little that suggests strategic grasp. The EU’s own description of the plan notes that “Europe has been losing ground in pharmaceutical innovation”, and goes on to the timid conclusion that “It is important to slow down or even reverse this trend”. The stated objectives suffer from the EU’s characteristic institutional obsession. The main aim is “to make further progress towards a single and sustainable market in pharmaceuticals”. And it diffidently suggests — but in a strictly non-legislative context — that it might be good to “discuss with member states ways to improve market access” or to “develop initiatives to boost EU pharmaceutical research”. The limited agenda of this meeting is emblematic of a gap at the centre in European thinking on pharmaceuticals. The same introversion and defensiveness and institutional obsession is evident in so much of the discussion that takes place on pharmaceuticals in the EU. The European Parliament is following slavishly the same agenda, as is the EU Council of Ministers. The overwhelming impression is of an industry — and the attendant officials and politicians — sleepwalking into obscurity. Will someone out there please wake the European drug industry up? The best things in life are for sharing Forward your copy of Pharm Exec Europe to a friend Don’t forget to forward your weekly issue of the Pharm Exec Europe digest to a friend or colleague or you can subscribe by clicking here 1 11 NEWS BRUSSELS REPORT 2 FROM THE EDITOR / NEWS 6 TWITTER 9 GENERICS 13 CALENDAR 14 ON THE MOVE CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO PHARM EXEC http://www.pharmexeceurope.com/europharmexec/newsletter/subscribeNewsletter.jsp http://www.pharmexeceurope.com/europharmexec/newsletter/subscribeNewsletter.jsp
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 Contents From the Editor Social Media Generics Brussels Report Calendar On the Move Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Contents (Page 1) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 2) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 3) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 4) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - From the Editor (Page 5) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Social Media (Page 6) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Social Media (Page 7) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Social Media (Page 8) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Generics (Page 9) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Generics (Page 10) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Brussels Report (Page 11) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Brussels Report (Page 12) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - Calendar (Page 13) Pharmaceutical Executive Digest Europe - March 11, 2009 - On the Move (Page 14)
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