Politicians ‘gambling’ with R&D, drug companies say

Europe’s medical R&D will be “significantly weakened” if EU lawmakers maintain their current course for revised drug manufacturing rules, companies have warned.

A provisional agreement among the EU’s three institutions on legislation that would loosen intellectual property rights have taken a turn for the worse, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations said in a strongly worded announcement on 14 February.

“Efpia notes the gamble on Europe’s future in medical innovation taken by the EU institutions in today’s trilogue meeting on the SPC [supplementary protection certificate] manufacturing waiver,” the association said.