Lægemiddelindustriforeningen
Lif
Lif er brancheorganisation for de forskende danske og udenlandske lægemiddelvirksomheder i Danmark.
ID: 877703492106-63
Lobbying Activity
Response to EU Life sciences strategy
11 Apr 2025
A EU Life Science strategy should be focused on health innovation and not be so broad that its focus and impact declines. It should focus on pharmaceuticals, medical technology, digital health solutions and biotech within pharma. In 2024, Denmark launched just such a focused life science strategy focusing on framework condition of the life science sector with a strong emphasis on patient needs and establishing a framework to meet these needs. The EU Lie Science Strategy must take learnings from the Danish strategy which emphasizes the synergy between the public and private sectors and the connection between a strong industrial and research ecosystem and a resilient healthcare system. A forthcoming European Life Science strategy should encapsulate the interests of patients, healthcare systems, society, while at the same time address issues of Europe's resilience and economic growth. The EU needs to prioritize investments in life science research, development, innovation and production, facilitate health data sharing, and encourage clinical research within the EU. Enhanced collaboration across countries and sectors are crucial to promote shared knowledge, up-take of innovation and beneficial solutions for better health. The EU Life Science Strategy must be ambitious setting clear and measurable goals and indicators. It must be based on a holistic approach covering the full value chain/ eco-system of life science all the way from research to up-take of innovation in healthcare. The following key priorities should as a minimum be included in the EU Life Science Strategy: The EU must set ambitions and be at the forefront of the up-take of innovation. The EU must strengthen its knowledge and experience sharing, for example by establishing European knowledge centers to promote the use of new types of innovations also in the pharmaceutical field (e.g. in relation to personalised medicine and ATMP). Following the Danish model, a Life Science Office should be established in the EU Commission as well as an EU Life Science Council that anchors the focus, coordination, knowledge collection and solution generation as well as the public/private collaboration within life science. A competition check is to be introduced for new European legislation that has an effect on competitive conditions for life science. Annual "blueprints" and "trackers" should be introduced to measure Europe's competitiveness indicators. The strategy must anchor targeted investments in EU´s eading "life science hubs" and that ambitions and initiatives must be backed by an increase in EU funds allocated to life science (e.g. research in areas such as biotech, pharma, medtech and closely related subjects) research and innovation (including in the EU's research, innovation and competitiveness programmes). The strategy should seek to create a vibrant and strong environment for biotek start-up and pharmaceutical research and innovation making Europe a hot spot for development of next generation pharmaceutical. There must be a targeted strengthening of the framework conditions for clinical research, including the establishment of an agile and harmonised system for clinical trials in the EU. A prioritised focus must be implemented on the effective implementation of the EHDS. The life science industry must be actively involved in the collaboration on the establishment of the European Health Data Space. The regulatory framework for applications and approval in the EU must be efficient, fast, and up-to-date, and based on high professional quality. EU must invest in EMA to secure its position as the global gold-standard agency. The life science strategy must anchor a stable, predictable, and competitive EU framework for investment in research, production and innovation in Europe. The EU must set its bar high to ensure the protection of IP rights and patent protection/regulatory data protection periods, etc., at a globally leading competitive level.
Read full response