Mohammed Elghareeb
General Manager of Roche Ireland
Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union in July arrives at a defining moment..
“Healthcare spending isn’t a drain on expenditure, but a strategic investment in ‘health and wealth’.”
According to recent reports by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), Europe is losing competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry due to a declining share of global R&D, clinical trials and slower access to new, innovative medicines.
According to EFPIA, the US is now attracting more than double the R&D investment in comparison to Europe and the European Economic Area’s (EEA) share of commercial clinical trials dropped from 22% to 12% in ten years, resulting in 60,000 fewer patients accessing trial places, while China’s share has doubled. The organisation has found that patient access to new, innovative medicines is generally slower and more unequal across Europe compared to other high-income regions like the United States.
Ireland: global life sciences and pharmaceutical hub
Ireland, as a global life sciences and pharmaceutical hub, has the credibility and reputation to lead the charge in reclaiming European competitiveness while also strengthening the national life science ecosystem.
“This year will see Ireland hold the EU Presidency and the anticipated launch out of Ireland’s first-ever National Life Science Strategy. At Roche, we are advocating for a Strategy that creates a cohesive, cross-departmental framework that fosters innovation, increases clinical trials, and accelerates patient access to new treatments”.
“The upcoming Strategy should reflect the fact that Ireland is pro-innovation and recognises the value of investing in healthcare innovation. Healthcare spending is not as a drain on expenditure, but a strategic investment in “health and wealth”. Such a stance would give Ireland great credibility on the global stage when it comes to leading EU-wide discussions on closing the innovation gap with the U.S. and China and the need to recognise the value of healthcare innovation”, said Mohammed Elghareeb, General Manager of Roche in Ireland.
Ireland, as a global life sciences and pharmaceutical hub, has the credibility and reputation to lead the charge in reclaiming European competitiveness
National Life Science Strategy
The implementation of a National Life Science Strategy will build on the recent success of the IPHA Framework Agreement, a deal between Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association (IPHA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE), that governs medicine reimbursement— and includes a commitment to meet the legal 180-day timeline for approving new medicines, a significant improvement over previously faced delays of over 600 days.
“Change and improvement do not take place in isolation, and a partnership approach is crucial in order to have a real impact for patients, the healthcare system and wider society. Organisations such as IPHA and Health Tech Ireland nationally and EFPIA on a European stage are crucial when it comes to creating a collaborative environment to support the health of people in Ireland and across Europe, as well as contribute to the economy. In Ireland, we have seen great unity among the trade associations and members regarding the future of Ireland’s life science sector and the role we must all play to make this vision a reality”, continued Mohammed.
Ireland’s local actions—such as the National Life Science Strategy and the recent IPHA Agreement—provide a credible blueprint for a sovereign, innovative, and healthy Europe. Now, as we look toward the EU Presidency, Ireland is ready to lead.
Roche was founded in 1896 in Basel, Switzerland and has grown into the world’s largest biotechnology company and the global leader in in-vitro diagnostics. Roche set up operations in Ireland in 1994 and has grown to become the number one supplier of hospital medicines. It is a member of IPHA, HealthTech Ireland and EFPIA.
