EU Structured Dialogue on Supply Chain Security: evidence, partnership and global resilience
01.03.21
EFPIA welcomed the opportunity to participate in today’s Structured Dialogue on Supply Chain Security with Vice President Schinas and Commissioners Kyriakides and Breton, high-level representatives from Member States and supply chain partners.
Speaking about the meeting EFPIA 1st Vice-President and CEO of Novo Nordisk, Lars Fruergaard Jørgenson said. “Throughout the COVID 19 pandemic EFPIA member companies have been able to develop highly innovative vaccines and increase production through exceptional effort to meet the needs of patients for COVID-19 treatments, showing the resilience of their global supply chains. EFPIA looks forward to partnering with EU institutions to help improve the eco-regulatory system whilst maintaining open trade.”
It is critical that any proposals from the Structured Dialogue take into account the nuances between the different actors across the medicines and vaccines supply chains. EUROSTAT data shows that the EU-27 is a strong exporter of pharmaceutical products and in terms of imports is resilient because most come from the EU itself. For example, the research-based, innovative pharmaceutical industry sources 77% of its Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) from within Europe. 12% from the US with only 9% being sourced from Asia.[1] The EU is the largest exporter of medicines in the world, with a global market share of 63.8% (Euro 383 billion)[2] and Vaccines Europe members manufacture 76% of their vaccines with the EU.[3]
Looking to the future, Philippe Luscan, Executive VP Global Industrial Affairs of Sanofi who participated in the meeting highlighted that “COVID-19 has shown the strength and resilience of global supply chains, demonstrating our capacity to quickly ramp up and increase manufacturing to limit any shortages of essential medicines. To remain competitive, Europe needs longer-term investment, incentives and global regulatory harmonisation in order to build a strong innovative manufacturing and supply ecosystem for the therapies of the future, such as mRNA, cell & gene therapy delivery and other types of highly specialised and innovative technologies.”
After the meeting EFPIA Director General, Nathalie Moll said. “We welcome Commission’s recognition that collaboration and partnership is key to supply chain security and that health is of strategic importance to the EU. Our recent experience in discovering, developing and delivering COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics has underlined that resilience begins with our research and development eco-system as well as the paramount importance of resilient global supply chains.”
EFPIA looks forward to being an active partner in building Europe’s resilience through the Structured Dialogue. Our aim is to co-create evidence-based, pragmatic solutions that work for citizens across Europe and around the world.
[1] https://efpia.eu/news-events/the-efpia-view/blog-articles/eu-strategic-resilience-in-pharmaceuticals-global-value-chains-and-innovation/
[2] Eurostat data, 2019
[3] https://www.vaccineseurope.eu/about-us/the-eu-vaccine-industry-in-figures/