EFPIA welcomes the Aug. 4 announcement of an agreement in principle for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and Vietnam. Noting the European Commission’s acknowledgement that pharmaceuticals represent one of a range of key export products from the EU to Vietnam, EFPIA considers that an eventual FTA will benefit Vietnamese patients significantly, and represents a boost for innovation and research. 

EFPIA lauds the excellent work undertaken by the Commission during two and a half years of intense negotiations and understands that the agreement in principle offers EU pharmaceutical manufacturers a level playing field in Vietnam, while promoting wider and faster patient access to innovative medicines.

Within the framework of the agreement, the Vietnamese government has committed to a high level of protection of Intellectual Property Rights – including stronger enforcement provisions ­– going beyond the standards of WTO TRIPs agreement. We further welcome the news that the EU pharmaceutical sector will benefit from improved data protection and from the potential to secure a patent extension of up to two years should delays in marketing authorisation occur.

EFPIA also notes Vietnam’s commitments concerning the procurement of pharmaceutical products and its decision, once the FTA is in place, to allow foreign-invested companies to import and sell medicines to distributors and wholesalers within the country.

With other trade negotiations ongoing, this agreement in principle offers convincing evidence that the EU remains committed to expanding free trade and to supporting innovation and knowledge-based industries.

EFPIA Director General Richard Bergström said: “The industry is committed to working with the Vietnam Government to expand access to medicines. We will assess in a comprehensive manner the implementation of the FTA, seeking to ensure that improved IP conditions do not stand in the way of patients' access to the medicines they need, and monitoring other developments influencing the availability and effective distribution of innovative and high quality medicines. As my member companies have shown in many countries, there are novel approaches to improve access to medicines while supporting the innovation system".