english.prescrire.org > Topics > Advancing healthcare policy > Advancing healthcare policy in Europe: a chronological recap of actions > 2016 Recap > Open letter to the EC on "Strengthening the Balance in the Pharmaceutical Systems" (9/2016)

Advancing healthcare policy

Advancing healthcare policy in Europe: a chronological recap of actions

Advancing healthcare policy

A recap of actions in 2016
Open letter to the European Commission on "Strengthening the Balance in the Pharmaceutical Systems in the EU and its Member States" (September 2016)

13 September 2016

36 Civil Society Organisations have sent an Open letter to the European Commission urging the follow-up of the June 2016 EU Council Conclusions on "Strengthening the Balance in the Pharmaceutical Systems in the EU and its Member States"

Summary

On 17 June, 2016, all 28 European Union (EU) Health Ministers agreed on Council Conclusions to address the imbalances in the pharmaceutical systems in the EU and its Member States. In these Conclusions, the Ministers invited the European Commission to undertake a critical review of the impact of current intellectual property (IP) related incentives on biomedical innovation.

Evidence suggests that current levels of excessive IP rights and related monopoly protections do not contribute to genuine needs-driven medical innovation, and delay generic competition. Instead, this contributes to the development of ‘me too’ medicines, anti-competitive behaviours and high prices of new treatments that are not related to the costs of development.

This issue requires urgent political action and the recently adopted Council Conclusions are a significant first step in addressing this situation. The time to act is now!

> Download the Open Letter (pdf, 59 Ko)