Il pharmaceutical sector it is central to the European economy, but the Covid pandemic has revealed some weaknesses. Indeed, the pandemic has left the health systems of the Member States in difficulty for many months. I study “European pharmaceutical research and development: Could public infrastructure overcome market failures ?”, presented to the European Parliament, it provides some suggestions on how to better target research and development priorities and funding.
In particular, the analysis – presented last May 24 before the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) – investigates the feasibility of creating a large-scale European public infrastructure that addresses shortcomings in the long term term of the market and directs research, production and distribution policies, so as to ensure access for all.
Unlike the European Authority for Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (HERA), it would be an institution that looks beyond emergencies. Its goal would be structural change in the supply and development of medicines, vaccines and biomedical innovations.
This body would administer long-term financing, according to a forward-looking global strategy and guarantee affordable prices for all. It should also manage intellectual property rights and any other innovation rights solely in the public interest, with a more agile approach clear and transparent contractual agreements.
In particular, the main mission of the European Infrastructure could be to build a portfolio of innovative pharmaceutical R&D projects over a period of thirty years (2050). Then he would look at the needs of the next generation. Only in this way could he collaborate with theEuropean Medicines Agency to avoid bottlenecks in supply.