Gallardo (Admiral) denounces: "Europe has ceased to be the world's pharmacy"

BarcelonaConcern and unease. This is what the European pharmaceutical sector feels in the face of the advance of the US and China. This was expressed by Carlos Gallardo, president and CEO of Almirante and second vice-president of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA). During a conference at Matins d'Esade, the representative of the family that controls the majority of Almirante's capital asserted that Europe was, "literally, the pharmacy of the world," and that this characteristic has been lost in the last three decades. "In 25 years, it has gone from contributing half of the innovative medicines to producing only one in five," he explained. Gallardo called on the European Union (EU) to modify its policy and consider the biopharmaceutical sector strategic for the future of the European economy, instead of as a cost center. He explained that investment in research and development (R&D) has fallen by 25% in the last 20 years in Europe, which is delaying the global launch of drugs. He also explained that the regulatory process is also too slow in Europe. As an example, he said that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) takes an average of 426 days to approve a product, while in the US, through the FDA, it takes 244 days. And, in Spain, another 600 days are added. Therefore, companies only have about six years to recoup their investment before the patent expires. During the audience question period, Gallardo called for a commitment to a hub He argued that having a "superpower" research center in Europe, like the one in Boston, USA, instead of one in every country, fragments everything and creates significant inefficiencies. The decline he believes is affecting the European sector also impacts clinical research. "European participation in clinical trials has halved, resulting in 60,000 fewer opportunities for patients." Furthermore, he noted that US and Chinese industrial policies are "redirecting manufacturing investment away from Europe." He also stated that Almirall is committed to artificial intelligence (AI) and explained the process that led the company to focus on medical dermatology. To this end, they consider many variables, from dermatologists' perceptions to the number of patients treated, sales growth, employee satisfaction, progress on the R&D roadmap, and reducing their carbon footprint, he concluded. It has been agreed that its objective is to launch products prescribed by dermatologists, outside the realm of cosmetics or aesthetics.