Research shows the origin of medicines
becomes more important
The pandemic has triggered a greater interest among patients
about Europe’s role in medicine manufacturing.
New research just revealed show that 7 in 10 patients now want
to know where their drugs are made as the pandemic has exposed
weaknesses in the growing concentration of essential medicine
production overseas.
The study found the vast majority (84%) of patients want their
government to support pharmaceutical manufacturing investments in
their region to avoid over-dependencies on countries outside of
Europe.
The study questioned thousands of European patients who rely on
regular medication for chronic conditions and found 7 in 10 (71%)
are interested in knowing Europe remains as competitive as other
regions.
OVER DEPENDENCY
The findings point to the need to rebalance the global
pharmaceutical value chain to ensure every region around the world
has reliable access to vital medicines.
It comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted problems with
global supply chains caused by the manufacturing of active
pharmaceutical ingredients being clustered in Asia. While Europe
remains strong in producing finished medicines it has lost its
leadership position in active pharmaceutical ingredient
manufacturing in the off-patent generics sector – especially for
essential drugs like paracetamol – opening up strategic
vulnerabilities.
The research by Teva Pharmaceuticals sought opinions from 3,000
patients aged over 25 from France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain,
Croatia and the Czech Republic. All participants suffered from one
or more chronic conditions including Alzheimer’s, arthritis,
asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, COPD, depression, diabetes,
heart disease, and migraine – requiring regular medication.
WAKE-UP CALL
Richard Daniell, Executive Vice President for Teva in Europe,
said: “The jolt of the pandemic acts as a wake-up call that the
growing imbalance of the global pharmaceutical value chain cannot
continue.
Patients now really care about where their medicines are made.
In the same way that “food miles” have become a key concern among
consumers in recent years, patients now want to know more about
“medicine miles” when it comes to the treatments they take.
Europe’s unhealthy over-reliance on overseas active
pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing has been exposed by the
closure of factories and borders. But nationalistic approaches
don’t work in such a highly connected and interdependent area as
modern medicine supply. Europe must adjust its policies to new
economic and technological realities, while expanding its
competitiveness and geopolitical position by remaining open and
attracting investments.
“Teva supports 200 million patients every day, keeping Europe’s
medicine cabinet stocked, as one of the largest of suppliers to
European healthcare systems. Today we make 95% of Teva medicines in
Europe, supported by our global supply line. And we are investing
close to a billion euros in manufacturing facilities across Europe.
What’s enlightening about this research is that patients are waking
up to these issues and demanding change.
“The race to the lowest-price generic has to stop and Europe’s
rather inflexible and old fashioned regulatory regime should be
modernized to keep Europe in the race to attract pharmaceutical
investments to produce critical APIs and generic medicines.
“With the needs of patients at its heart, a new equilibrium also
stands to improve Europe’s resilience as well as delivering a
significant economic contribution to the region. There is an
opportunity to seize this watershed moment and build a better
ecosystem in which a stronger pharmaceutical manufacturing presence
in Europe can complement the rest of the global supply chain.”
EMERGING FROM THE PANDEMIC
The research shows that European patients consider such
commitments are vital for a sustainable future.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of people think the pharmaceutical
industry is strategically important for Europe as we move out of
the pandemic, because it can ensure stability and reliability of
medicine supplies.
Almost two-thirds (61%) think medicine manufacturing in the
region is important to protect European healthcare systems, and
roughly the same number (59%) see it as crucial to secure Europe’s
autonomy and sovereignty over critical drugs.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
The study found 85% of patients see the pharmaceutical sector as
crucial to driving economic recovery as we emerge from the depths
of the pandemic.
People cited jobs creation and supporting the local economy as
the top benefit for promoting medicine manufacture in Europe (57%),
closely followed by a desire for better access to essential drugs
and reducing reliance on overseas supply (56%).
Furthermore, more than 70% of European patients want to see
Europe remain as competitive as other regions and expect their
government to take action to support this.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
The environment was a top concern among patients with 65%
demanding that their medicines be made in way that’s
environmentally sustainable.
In addition, more than half (55%) of patients see the benefits
of drugs manufactured in Europe linked to the potential of
transport reduction-related environmental impact. And over a third
(35%) of people think Europe guarantees greener production and
respect for environmental regulations than overseas
manufacturing.
ENDS
About Teva and Its Impact in Europe
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) has
been developing and producing medicines to improve people’s lives
for 120 Years. We are a global leader in generic and specialty
medicines with a portfolio consisting of over 3,500 products in
nearly every therapeutic area.
Around 200 million people around the world take a Teva medicine
every day, are served by one of the largest and most complex supply
chains in the pharmaceutical industry. Along with our established
presence in generics, we have significant innovative research and
operations supporting our growing portfolio of specialty and
biopharmaceutical products. Teva operated 32 manufacturing and
research and development facilities across Europe in 2020.
In Europe, Teva’s local purchases and payroll across the nine
key markets supported nearly 105,000 jobs, contributed $29.5
billion (€25.8 billion) to economic output, and generated $5.6
billion (€4.9 billion) in labor income. Teva’s generic medicines
saved healthcare systems across nine European countries $9.6
billion (€8.4 billion) in 2020. Learn more about Teva and its
Economic Impact .
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211003005048/en/
Fiona Cohen, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Teva EU
+ 31 6 2008 2545
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